I’ve been working through my TBR lately and realized how many newer releases feel like they were written with the back-cover blurb in mind first. Everywhere I look it’s “a propulsive masterpiece,” “a genre-defying thrill ride,” “the book that will change everything.” Meanwhile, the actual story is often something pretty grounded and introspective-which is totally fine, but the marketing keeps promising fireworks. Wild. It’s made me appreciate the older or less-hyped books that just… Exist without trying like so hard to justify themselves. I miss honestly stumbling onto a small, thoughtful novel that isn’t trying to convince me it’s going to blow my mind. Anyone else noticing this shift, or am I just burned out on publishing buzzwords?
by throwawayjaaay
4 Comments
You’re just burned out. Blurbs are advertisements, and advertisements need to get attention. Authors write them to be eye catching and intriguing, and publicists pick ones that are punchy and exciting. Regardless of the tone of the book, they want you to read the blurb and think ‘I want to know more about that’. They also tend to congratulate and hype the author. Which is where that ‘masterpiece’ language comes from. Nobody wants to read a book where the blurb says ‘the writer did an ok job’
I don’t read blurbs, so I just judge the book for the writing within it.
Yes! It’s something I’ve thought about but not articulated like you have. There are still some modern ones I stumble on without the glitz and glamour that I like, for example my last read ‘a backpack filled with sunsets by ifeanyi Ogbo’, but for the most part I just stick to the quiet greatness of older gems.
I’ve stopped reading blurbs and go off reviews from places I trust. They’re way more accurate.