1. Interesting (as in, “I found it extremely…um…interesting.” Translation: Dull.)
2. Thought-provoking (as in, “It was terribly thought-provoking.” Translation: It was terrible.)
3. Zany (as in, “You crack me up! Your writing is so damned zany.” Translation: How did you ever get anyone to publish these stupid books?)
4. Different (as in, “Well, it certainly is….different.” Translation: I’ve tried, but can’t think of a single nice thing to say.)
Here are the ones I prefer:
1. Moving (as in, “That was, without doubt, the most moving book I’ve ever read.”)
2. Insightful (as in, “There surely can not exist a more insightful treatment of the human condition.”)
3. Breathtaking (as in, “Your prose is simply breathtaking.”)
4. Pulitzer (as in, “This book has Pulitzer written all over it.”)
My husband has noted that life would proceed more smoothly if I gave him a script. This one’s for everyone else.
my daughter was so moved by your first book that when she finished it she sobbed for hours and refused to speak to me … and the two of us were stuck in a cabin in the mountains of Virginia on a mother daughter “bonding” weekend …
http://4kids1dog1cat1deadhamster.blogspot.com/2010/04/another-take-on-love-of-good-book.html
Amazing how much your daughter sounds like my daughter. Only my daughter wouldn’t dream of reading my books.
Ah, but Meg – your writing is all of the first four things, just not in “that way”!
If I say it is thought-provoking and interesting, I mean it in a good way.
For it is certainly those things! If I did call it that, it would only be because I couldn’t think of any better adjectives. Pulitzer is a great one. Unless it’s “This book is about as far from Pulitzer as could be imagined”…
when you finish writing that script for your husband, can i have a copy for mine?
I find ‘yes, my darling, whatever you say,’ is always a good start.