The Seven Deadly Words

11 comments on “The Seven Deadly Words”

1. Kathryn says:
   March 27th, 2008 at 7:56 am

   The reviewer as perp! Love that.

2. Shawn says:
   March 27th, 2008 at 8:10 am

   Sure some words are overused to an irritating degree, but I think Bob Harris overstates the point. There are throwaway reviews, and then there are well-considered and well-written ones.

   From the perspective of Harris and some of the commenters, you should be nailed to the cross for using almost any adjective, and most verbs other than “to be.”

3. Marky Markus says:
   March 27th, 2008 at 1:04 pm

   words, especially in CanLit poetry reviews that are overused include “weaves” or “weaving” (baskets?) and “everyday” “the everyday has been overplayed.”
   maybe this year it will be quotidian, pedestrian
   or convenience store. i think if you read the copy
   on the backs of bottles of wine, and the backs of poetry
   books, it would be hard to tell the difference.
   “a classic bouquet artfully turned on its side,
   masterfully composed, with a haunting, oaky finish,
   rare in these regions.” Quill & Vine

4. cfg says:
   March 27th, 2008 at 4:43 pm

   Disagree with the ‘eschew’ remark. I’d say I hear it spoken almost every day. Usually followed by ‘bless you.’

5. miette says:
   March 27th, 2008 at 6:43 pm

   Searching NYTimes’ archive of book reviews since 1981:

   – poignant is returned 1033 times
   – compelling 1933 times
   – 1082 instances of intriguing
   – eschew only 56 (not nearly enough to warrant the bile spewed its way, if you ask me, and even if you didn’t, I know you WANTED to)
   – 821 for craft
   – 381 on muse
   – and not quite breaking the even grand, 961 articles imbued with lyrical.

   Here’s a free starter, then, to get them moving for next weekend:

   This book was good. It was long, and good. The book was about a man, who was nice.

6. susan says:
   March 27th, 2008 at 7:56 pm

   It’s odd, but the American list didn’t sound especially familiar to me. I think we have our own set of buzz words north of the 49th.
   I’ll start a list — feel free to add to it!

   “A brilliant new voice in Canadian fiction” (insert just about anyone’s name here; mine, if you like.)

   “Haunting” (it takes place in the past)
   “Edgy” (it takes place in the present)
   “Dystopian” (it takes place in the future)

7. Nathan says:
   March 27th, 2008 at 8:10 pm

   Oh, Susan – nice job. Seriously.

   Haunting, Edgy, and Dystopian – the three modes of fiction.

8. cfg says:
   March 28th, 2008 at 10:31 am

   Don’t forget ‘memory’ and ‘loss’ (usually joined by and) for that ‘haunting’ category.

9. Shawn says:
   March 30th, 2008 at 6:31 pm

   A couple of my recent reviews just came out, and one of them uses several of the taboo words! Two in the same sentence even.

   Point taken after all. I thought I was a bit more… “inventive” — how’s that for another cliché term?

   :0)

10. Jamie says:
    March 31st, 2008 at 10:00 am

    Let’s also add adjectives that, in the pile-up, become adverbs.
    Most of your ‘favourites’can be compounded:
    Consider achingly poignant, or wrenchingly compelling, or even gut-wrenchingly, well, you know. . . .

    I love Susan’s tenses, but I’m wondering about “prophetic”(also overworked) for the future.

11. susan says:
    April 1st, 2008 at 8:29 am

    Yeah, prophetic works too. Bring it on!

Discuss