So I am reading a book.

(Sascha Darlington reading a book? Well, I never… 😉 )

I am loving it because it’s written with the rhythm and word usage of someone who loves words, someone who became a writer because they love words and novels and reading. This I note because I seldom read novels like this anymore.

On Goodreads, I looked for the novel so I could put it down as currently reading (which I have neglected to do), wondered why it has so few stars, considering the prose is gorgeous. And then I made the mistake of reading a few scathing reviews.

One is: this novel is so overwritten. Lots of empty words.

Overwritten. Empty words.

From a millennial. I know this because their age is actually on their profile.

I majored in English Literature because I love the written word. I love what can be done with it in the hands/brains of someone who hears its musicality. Good writing is like listening to music. It sings. Unfortunately these days you can mostly only find it in poetry and then sometimes not even there. Even poetry is being dumbed down. (I may be guilty of this too because I’m not a good poet.)

Is a beautifully written novel going to become a lost art? Much like the cursive style of writing that millennials also wish to eradicate?

Much of the writing in novels, especially Indie novels (sorry, Indie writers, it’s unfortunately true; you may not be one of these but many are), is pedestrian. If readers are enamored with that style of writing, can they ever appreciate better? Will writers continue to strive for better?

Thoughts? (Was I too wordy? 😉 )