Yes, in addition to soliciting your opinion, this is a shameless plug for my new novel,
WHITE POWDER: A Novel of the CIA and the Secret War in Laos
We all know the cliche, "You can't tell a book by its cover". I'm not sure whether or not that's true. I'm speaking, of course, of the BACK cover of the book. And here's my question. Would you rather read canned reviews by paid reviewers on the back of the book like this:
"Stunning masterpiece" - Time
"The novel of the year!" - The NewYorker
"Lambert's work is brilliant!" - Los Angeles Times
"A roller coaster ride through the war in Indochina." - Atlantic Monthly
Or would you rather read something about what's actually in the book? I really want to know. When I pick up a book at a book store I scour it to see what it's about and to try and determine whether or not I'd like it. But maybe reviews work better? What do YOU think? What prompts you to buy a book that you pick up?
3 comments:
I like blurbs from the book.
It's a good book. Plug the hell out of it.
I much prefer to read something which will excite, intrigue, or stimulate me on the back of the book. Do any of them others actually read and rate the book? I've never bought into that sort of stuff.
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