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Nabokov's favorite word is mauve: what the numbers reveal about the classics, bestsellers, and our own writing
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Author:
Published:
New York : Simon & Schuster, 2017.
Physical Desc:
271 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 22 cm
Status:
Central
809 B644 2017
Sylvan Oaks
809 B644 2017
Description

What are our favorite authors favorite words? Which bestselling writer uses the most clichés? How can we judge a book by its cover? Data meets literature in this playful and informative look at our favorite authors and their masterpieces. A literary detective story: fast-paced, thought-provoking, and intriguing. Brian Christian, coauthor of Algorithms to Live By Theres a famous piece of writing adviceoffered by Ernest Hemingway, Stephen King, and myriad writers in betweennot to use -ly adverbs like quickly or fitfully. It sounds like solid advice, but can we actually test it? If we were to count all the -ly adverbs these authors used in their careers, do they follow their own advice compared to other celebrated authors? Whats more, do great books in generalthe classics and the bestsellersshare this trait? In Nabokovs Favorite Word Is Mauve , statistician and journalist Ben Blatt brings big data to the literary canon, exploring the wealth of fun findings that remain hidden in the works of the worlds greatest writers. He assembles a database of thousands of books and hundreds of millions of words, and starts asking the questions that have intrigued curious word nerds and book lovers for generations: What are our favorite authors favorite words? Do men and women write differently? Are bestsellers getting dumber over time? Which bestselling writer uses the most clichés? What makes a great opening sentence? How can we judge a book by its cover? And which writerly advice is worth following or ignoring? Blatt draws upon existing analysis techniques and invents some of his own. All of his investigations and experiments are original, conducted himself, and no math knowledge is needed to understand the results. Blatt breaks his findings down into lucid, humorous language and clear and compelling visuals. This eye-opening book will provide you with a new appreciation for your favorite authors and a fresh perspective on your own writing, illuminating both the patterns that hold great prose together and the brilliant flourishes that make it unforgettable.

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809 B644 2017
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809 B644 2017
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Format:
Book
Language:
English
ISBN:
9781501105388, 1501105388

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 223-271).
Description
What are our favorite authors favorite words? Which bestselling writer uses the most clichés? How can we judge a book by its cover? Data meets literature in this playful and informative look at our favorite authors and their masterpieces. A literary detective story: fast-paced, thought-provoking, and intriguing. Brian Christian, coauthor of Algorithms to Live By Theres a famous piece of writing adviceoffered by Ernest Hemingway, Stephen King, and myriad writers in betweennot to use -ly adverbs like quickly or fitfully. It sounds like solid advice, but can we actually test it? If we were to count all the -ly adverbs these authors used in their careers, do they follow their own advice compared to other celebrated authors? Whats more, do great books in generalthe classics and the bestsellersshare this trait? In Nabokovs Favorite Word Is Mauve , statistician and journalist Ben Blatt brings big data to the literary canon, exploring the wealth of fun findings that remain hidden in the works of the worlds greatest writers. He assembles a database of thousands of books and hundreds of millions of words, and starts asking the questions that have intrigued curious word nerds and book lovers for generations: What are our favorite authors favorite words? Do men and women write differently? Are bestsellers getting dumber over time? Which bestselling writer uses the most clichés? What makes a great opening sentence? How can we judge a book by its cover? And which writerly advice is worth following or ignoring? Blatt draws upon existing analysis techniques and invents some of his own. All of his investigations and experiments are original, conducted himself, and no math knowledge is needed to understand the results. Blatt breaks his findings down into lucid, humorous language and clear and compelling visuals. This eye-opening book will provide you with a new appreciation for your favorite authors and a fresh perspective on your own writing, illuminating both the patterns that hold great prose together and the brilliant flourishes that make it unforgettable.
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Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Blatt, B. (2017). Nabokov's favorite word is mauve: what the numbers reveal about the classics, bestsellers, and our own writing. New York, Simon & Schuster.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Blatt, Ben. 2017. Nabokov's Favorite Word Is Mauve: What the Numbers Reveal About the Classics, Bestsellers, and Our Own Writing. New York, Simon & Schuster.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Blatt, Ben, Nabokov's Favorite Word Is Mauve: What the Numbers Reveal About the Classics, Bestsellers, and Our Own Writing. New York, Simon & Schuster, 2017.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Blatt, Ben. Nabokov's Favorite Word Is Mauve: What the Numbers Reveal About the Classics, Bestsellers, and Our Own Writing. New York, Simon & Schuster, 2017.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Staff View
Grouped Work ID:
48d69329-9835-02f4-b481-62967bbce2fa
Go To GroupedWork

Record Information

Last Sierra Extract TimeMar 21, 2024 05:38:29 AM
Last File Modification TimeMar 21, 2024 05:43:21 AM
Last Grouped Work Modification TimeMar 29, 2024 02:17:20 AM

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