From Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Ragnarok 14:19, August 4, 2010 (UTC)
| Humour:
|
6.78
|
Right, Mr Norse Armageddon-like Cataclysm. We'll go through this section by section.
- Intro: OK, your basic HowTo setup. Nothing special, at least mildly amusing. We basically have the allegation that talentless/desperate/unmotivated writers become reviewers. *sniff* OK, so I don't take offence at that—it's your typical stereotype of the book reviewer, and I can't say I blame you for its exploitation. Don't take it out.
- Publication: OK, this was probably the best section of the article. It's at least just short of adequately developed, has nice contrast and satire, and you bash the Daily Mail. How could you possibly go wrong?
Well, still a few ways. You have the middle-class Times and the working-class Mail. But what about the London Review of Books and their deconstructionist/postmodernist/whatever jargon and extremely detailed analysis? Or the odd Sun or Metro, if they ever do reviews of books (I honestly don't remember seeing any on those)? Also, I don't know if you wanted to invent/take names for the reviewers themselves.
- Stock phrases: I got a good chuckle out of your critique of "page-turning", the first item on your list of stock phrases. Then I saw that it was the last item on your list of stock phrases. If you deconstruct and make fun of more stock phrases without getting too listy (I'd stop at 5-7), that would be great. See here and here for some ideas.
- Summ"e"rise: Heh. No, I wasn't laughing at the erroneous heading, but at the actual content. So that can't be bad. I mean, it's definitely true that plot synopsis in reviews is definitely good filler. While you're at it, what about extensive quoting from the novel that doesn't contribute to its critique? You might also have various different options for summarising the plot. Sure, you can take stuff off the blurb. But also you could quote extensively from meaningless parts of the novel, or write an outline of generic story elements that could practically fit any novel.
- Need to read: Hm, this looks more like it should be a sub-section of Summarise plot. I'd advise either that or a bunch of questions grouped into a FAQ/Q&A at the end.
- Quotable: I almost feel like the author's bribes and money could/should be a section all its own. How can you extort the maximum amount of money out of the author? Can I ask for something other than money, like, er, certain favours? Just a suggestion.
Other than that, you have the classic bit of the review that goes on the cover, and I found the quote pretty amusing. You could also bring up that Daily Mail quote again as a miniature running gag.
- And you're done and so am I. The ending lets down a bit, so I would again advise that Q&A at the end I mentioned earlier, so that it falls less flat.
|
| Concept:
|
4.24
|
Concept has no problems whatsoever—we always see how hackneyed reviews of mass media material can be. The reason for the low score here really is the execution. I have no problems with the humour you have here. However, you could certainly have a great deal more of it, and as it stands it looks a bit underdeveloped. I'd like to see this article blossom and explode with even more creative ways of poking fun at these clichés, and perhaps you might give a bit of thought into incorporating some of the suggestions I made above. Reading more book reviews might spark some inspiration as well, as would just sitting down to think up more ideas, perhaps.
|
| Prose and formatting:
|
7.47
|
Your prose is quite good. Your wording, phrasing, linking etc I think really add to the comedic quality of the article. However, the errors I see here from time to time do distract from the content, so I'd advise either doing your own proofreading, having MS Word do your proofreading, or using the Proof Signal to summon the Proofreading Service.
A few formatting tips as well. Sometimes your templates and images squeeze each other out. For instance, I would recommend moving that Lost Symbol cover to the left (instead of: [[Image:LostSymbol.jpg|thumb|Here's your caption but it was too long for me to type it all out]] have this: [[Image:LostSymbol.jpg|thumb|left|Here's your caption but it was too long for me to type it all out]]) because it squeezes down the money image. In addition, you use lines that are solely quotes, and I would much recommend using the cquote template. You'll see an example quite soon.
|
| Images:
|
6.66
|
Your images are adequate and pertinent, and the captions are mildly amusing. The caption for the Lost Symbol cover, however, does slightly seem out of place because you suddenly start bashing Dan Brown (I love to bash him too, but still) out of nowhere. You're probably trying to tell us why you don't have to read books you're reviewing, but it would work better if you had a caption something along the lines of "Most of the time you can avoid reading books you're reviewing. Sometimes, it can be a matter of life and death" or something over-the-top like that.
|
| Miscellaneous:
|
5.27
|
This looks like a great idea for a HowTo and your execution so far is pretty good. Now all you need to do is develop it even more! Well, OK, so that's a lot of work, but it'll be worth it when it's done. Take some suggestions, do some more research, hold a press conference, etc etc.
|
| Final Score:
|
30.42
|
Cquote example was breaking the template, so it's right below my signature.
|
| Reviewer:
|
               Sir MacMania GUN—[14:41 5 Aug 2010]
|
| “
|
In conclusion, HowTo:Write A Book Review was a magnificently nuanced, powerfully gripping, timely and poignant tour-de-force with a deceptively simple premise that at once haunts and rivets—perfect for fans of other readable HowTo articles.
|
”
|
|
|
Sir MacMania GUN—[14:41 5 Aug 2010]