Why do people read novels? Surely one of the main reasons – and I know it is for me – is to be swept up in the characters’ emotions. Now a study by three British universities (Bristol, Durham and Sheffield) has thrown up an incredible fact: books are exactly 14% less emotional in content today…… Continue reading Are novels less joyful and more scary? A scientific study seems to think so
This isn’t the first time I’ve written here about how hard it is to find useful reviews of commercial fiction, especially of romantic fiction. (Here’s my previous post on romance reviewers I admire.) If you like reading literary fiction, it’s not hard to track down a well-written review of a book before you commit yourself…… Continue reading How to write a useful book review
Today I’m going to start with a language quiz. (I love quizzes and as a writer I LOVE to talk about language.) If you were out walking, and a complete stranger offered to give you a fanny pack, would you: a) Think him a little odd, and say ‘No thanks, I already have one’? b) …… Continue reading The great language divide: Britain, the US and English (but not as we know it)
Helena Fairfax 