Finding the Right Words for Book Reviews

Have you noticed that certain words, especially certain adjectives, are used over and over again in book reviews, and in back-cover blurbs? Powerful, rich, wise, intelligent, honest, illuminating, electrifying, heartbreaking, magnificent, profound, original, enlightening, artful, gorgeous, important, thrilling, passionate, funny, hilarious, poignant, provocative, epic, fascinating, enthralling, unsettling, insightful, striking, creative, breakthrough, elegant, beautiful, masterful: these are just a few of the most commonly seen adjectives. I sympathize with reviewers’ trying to find new descriptive words, because I too have difficulty breaking away from relying on such adjectives when writing blog posts or other book reviews. In fact, I probably shouldn’t post this list, as I may now feel self-conscious every time I use one of these adjectives in the future! However, today I heard some new descriptive words that impressed me and struck me as very apt and true. On KQED Forum, a San Francisco NPR radio show, Dave Iverson interviewed Tony Taccone, artistic director of the wonderful Berkeley Repertory Theatre; at one point, Taccone described the work of certain playwrights as “fresh” and as having a certain “level of muscle, of imagination, and of molecular excitement.” Molecular excitement. I like that very much.