A Strange World of Book Blurbs. Pt I.

Walking into a bookstore, contemporary reader follows a number of steps. First, one needs to choose a section of the shop to dive into, then carefully inspect the shelf in order to pick an appealing title that would, at the same time, not sound too embarrassing, then, finally, bring the book to the counter. The selection process is influenced by a myriad of factors — the light, easy access to the shelves and space arrangement. New items or bestsellers are often placed on a separate stand towards the front, while classics that hasn’t been recently revamped by a Hollywood still, goes to the very back. The choices don’t stop here. The most demanding part of the selection algorithm entails two steps. Having picked a book, a potential reader either opens it in order to get the taste of the first chapter; or turns the book to look at the short texts printed on the back cover. And here comes the blurb.

The information provided on the back varies from genre to genre and from culture to culture. However, independent of the character of the book, it traditionally has a dual nature catering for the interests of two different benefactors. One, is the reader whose main goal is to find out what the book is about, or whether it has been approved by a trustworthy taste. The other beneficiary is the publisher, whose purpose is to promote and sell the book to as many people as possible. In…