5 Categories of Evaluation

I will give a book a score between 0 and 100, and the score is mostly gestält. Basically, every book starts at 100, but a very rare book will end at 100. I am more interested in promoting books with humor than those without, for philosophical reasons stated in my post on “What I Report on and Why.” If there is virtually no humor in a book, then it loses 5 points off the top. So if it is otherwise perfect, it is a 95 point book. I’ve read some books that I have loved that lacked humor. When I review them, they might just get a perfect 95. Some of my favorite books that are very funny have lacked high literary standards. So while Douglas Adam’s Hitchhiker’s series changed my life, they won’t be getting 100’s. Likewise, I will remove points for books that are notably lacking in any of the areas noted below. At the end of each review, I will post the score, and why I gave it. Mind you, these are not bullet points that each author has to hit in every book.

1. Humor

-Balanced/Appropriate
-Non derogatory
-Irony
-Pokes fun at human nature
-Derives from quirky characters
-Derives from situations
-Clever dialogue

2. Characters

-Not stock
-Dynamic
-Dimensional
-Interesting
-Emotionally connected to reader
-Background
-Realistic dialogue
-Staying in voice

3. Plot

-Believable yet unpredictable
-Pace
-Subplots and tie-ins
-No pointlessness meanderings

4. Philosophy

-Does it make me think?
-Is it one of those books that I will tell other people about/think about years from now/spark conversations with other intellectuals?
-Does it make me re-think?
-Does it offer a new point of view?
-Does it meet the writers apparent goal?
-Is the story consistent with the philosophy?


5. Style

-Distinctiveness of authors voice
-Prose
-Metaphors and simile
-Descriptions
-Turns of phrase
-Head popping
-Balance of dialogue and prose