Catherine Blyth’s “The Art of Conversation”

I simply could not finish this book since Catherine Blyth appears to be unable to write in a clear, concise and coherent manner. Too many times I found myself re-reading passages trying to grasp her meaning. She is at her worst when explaining her personal experiences; it took several tries to determine what was even going on, who she was talking about and who said what.

I cannot possibly tell you which is worse: her choice of diction or her sentence structure. They are both terribly bad and make for very frustrating reading. Having six clauses in one sentence and employing high-brow phrases and obscure words are not the marks of a good writer. This book has every sign of a wannabe writer trying too hard.

When I was at University, one my lecturers said: ‘If someone has trouble understanding what you have written, it is you, the writer, not the reader, who is at fault.’ This has never resonated so true. As great as the concept of this book seems (and it is) it’s simply inaccessible.