Maxine of Petrona very kindly sent me an uncorrected proof copy of Arnaldur Indridason’s new Erlendur novel, Outrage. I was going to leave my comments about the cover blurb until I had read the book and reviewed it, but I could not restrain myself.
Why do the people in the publishing industry act like a rabbit caught in car headlights when they blurb? They throw Stieg Larsson stickers around like confetti, and compare authors as disparate as Enid Blyton and Val McDermid providing both material and amusement for bloggers.
On the cover of Outrage we are told “Crime’s best kept secret ….Until now…”
But we are informed by Harlen Coben that Indridason is “An international literary phenomenon”, and on the back cover “Over 6 million books sold worldwide”.
Obviously that best kept secret must have leaked out.
Very funny, Norman. And what is with this blog!? Brilliant, I really like it! Glad you have joined the WordPress club, hope it is working out OK “under the hood”.
Thanks Maxine. It is my brain that is not working too well under the hood. How do you get those smart avatars/gravatars?
Trying to get gravatar.
Norman – This is an absolutely wonderful post! I don’t understand blurbs, either, and you have put it much, much better than I could have. Well done!
And I love your new home here. It looks terrific!
Thanks Margot. Maxine was very kind to send me this one. Margot, my forty years dealing with other dentists was good training in producing sarcastic comments.
This is a lovely blog, Norman, as Crime Scraps always was and so remains. With regard to the format of blogs, what I most appreciate is clarity and a lack of ‘clutter’, and in these matters, as in others, both your blogs are exemplars. Well done you!
Thanks Philip. I am very pleased with the result, and especially the fact that all my old posts [along with the comments] accompanied me over to WordPress. The clarity and lack of clutter is the result of me not being able to cope with all the bells and whistles that computer literate bloggers put on their sites.
Might not be the best sticker but it enlivens a truly dreadful cover! There is something wonderful about a lovingly produced book but too many crime novels drive you to the Kindle. Outrage seems to have been packaged by the same people who design Smoking Kills cigarette cartons.