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Do you pay attention to pull quotes on books, records, film posters, etc.? Would a 'recommendation' from someone you like sway you towards purchase? What sets your alarm bells ringing? What are some of your favourite pull quotes?

"Comparable to Tolkien at his best!"

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 28 November 2002 00:22 (twenty-three years ago)

when I see quotes or ratings from FHM or news of the world or the like on something I think: 'they have only managed to make me less interested.'

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 28 November 2002 00:28 (twenty-three years ago)

"best. thread. ever."

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Thursday, 28 November 2002 00:29 (twenty-three years ago)

quotes from obscure local newspapers always smack of desperation

― RickyT (RickyT), Thursday, 28 November 2002 00:31 (twenty-three years ago)

whenever i see movie posters i'll always check to see if the best/only quote(s) they could get are from radio stations. if so: steer clear.

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Thursday, 28 November 2002 00:33 (twenty-three years ago)

"A fun film with plenty of thrills to keep you occupied" That Bald Cunt Off Of Talking Movies.

Actually, that bald cunt off of Talking Movies is deserving of his own thread...

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 28 November 2002 00:41 (twenty-three years ago)

"Comparable to Tolkien at his best!"

Isn't this snagged from the latest Bone TPB?

― Leee (Leee), Thursday, 28 November 2002 00:46 (twenty-three years ago)

donkeys>horses

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 28 November 2002 00:48 (twenty-three years ago)

i once bought a book (grand central winter by lee stringer) that i wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for the kurt vonnegut quote on the cover...
i also read atomised by houellebecq (that's probably spelt wrong)partially because of the vast amount of quotes on the cover proclaiming it to be the best thing ever...although the fact that it was already in the house was probably another factor,as was the fact that my dad bought it,and he rarely buys modern literature,so i was curious as to why this would be an exception...
so i dunno,i suppose it can make a difference,but doesn't always...
i do base a lot of what i buy on recommendations,whether from friends,reviews,ilx,or from musicians/writers/etc i respect in interviews...

― robin (robin), Thursday, 28 November 2002 01:49 (twenty-three years ago)

The Michael Winner film "Parting Shots" starring Chris Rea, yes Chris Rea, had only one quote on the back of the video. "Chris Rea's first starring role". They couldn't even take a few words out of context from anywhere and make it sound any good.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Thursday, 28 November 2002 02:34 (twenty-three years ago)

I always wanted to see Parting Shots -- maybe will some time on video -- because the cast is so stunningly mental.

Chris Rea .... Harry Sterndale
Felicity Kendal .... Jill Saunders
Bob Hoskins .... Gerd Layton
Ben Kingsley .... Renzo Locatelli
Joanna Lumley .... Freda
Oliver Reed .... Jamie Campbell-Stewart
Diana Rigg .... Lisa
John Cleese .... Maurice Walpole
Gareth Hunt .... Inspector Bass
Peter Davison .... John
Patrick Ryecart .... Cleverley
Edward Hardwicke .... Dr. Joseph
Nicholas Gecks .... Detective Constable Ray
Ruby Snape .... Melissa
Nicola Bryant .... Beverley
Brian Poyser .... President Zlomov
Sheila Steafel .... President's Wife
Trevor Baxter .... Maitre D'
Timothy Carlton .... Commissioner Grosvenor
Nicky Henson .... Askew
Caroline Langrishe .... Vanessa
Taryn Kay .... Ruth Layton
Alison Reynolds .... Zoe Layton

also Daisy Donovan and ANDREW NEIL turn up. Peter Davison and Nicola Bryant, but also Patrick Ryecart and John Cleese (both of whom appeared in Dr Who!), Diana Rigg and Joanna Lumley and Gareth Hunt -- The Avengers. What's GOING ON?

― Alan (Alan), Thursday, 28 November 2002 09:45 (twenty-three years ago)

least convincing recommendation: anything by Irvine Welsh. A classic of this genre is his 'The best film I've seen in ma puff' endorsement of "Human Traffic".

The "comparable to Tolkien at his best" line is originally from those Stephen Donaldson books.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Thursday, 28 November 2002 10:03 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.imagemagician.com/images/r_gillanders/brazil.jpg

haha, I forgot about this.

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 28 November 2002 10:25 (twenty-three years ago)

"As good as Stephen King or your money back!"
-was the line on the cover of Neil Gaimans 'American Gods'.
It wouldn't have to be that good then would it?

― Simeon (Simeon), Thursday, 28 November 2002 11:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Also related - Bill Drummonds 'The Manual' had "a guaranteed No1 UK single or your money back!"

― Simeon (Simeon), Thursday, 28 November 2002 12:01 (twenty-three years ago)

That Gaiman thing annoyed me. I've certainly seen "As good as Grisham or your money back" too and I am positive I saw "As good as Minnette Walters or your money back" recently - where will it all end?

Grrrr also "Other Writers" vs "John O Farrell". Why are all book adverts awful?

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 28 November 2002 12:03 (twenty-three years ago)

I've seen some covers recently where the name of the pundit giving the quote is more prominent than the title or authors name.
How insulting is that?

― Simeon (Simeon), Thursday, 28 November 2002 12:09 (twenty-three years ago)

ha, that "good as" thing works every time. nobody ever takes it back. (or not in sufficient quantities)

My least fave marketing line is when they fall over themselves to say things like "the master story teller is back" and it's always some k-rub thriller or Archer or King or some bollox.

― Alan (Alan), Thursday, 28 November 2002 12:11 (twenty-three years ago)

okay, what I think is funny about my photo:

1) I had never heard of the author of the book or the book
2) I had never heard of the two great authors whose work it said it was to stand beside
3) it was standing beside a work of one of those great authors
4) I noticed it as I was leaving a pub in glasgow

< /whyfun >

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 28 November 2002 12:16 (twenty-three years ago)

I've seen some covers recently where the name of the pundit giving the quote is more prominent than the title or authors name.
How insulting is that?

This was the case with the first edn of 'White Teeth': Salman Rushdie's name far more prominent than Zadie Smith's. I didn't feel insulted, as the publisher had just effectively warned me not to buy this under any circumstances!

― alext (alext), Thursday, 28 November 2002 12:37 (twenty-three years ago)

A current favourite seems to be 'if you loved highlyPopularBookX and grebtBookY, you'll love newBookZ'. Translation: 'newBookZ is a second rate pile of derivative rub that bears a passing resemblence to highlyPopularBookX and grebtBookY'.

― RickyT (RickyT), Thursday, 28 November 2002 12:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes Ricky aka "comparable to Tolkien at his best"! Nothing ever changes.

OK here's a question - are these marketing strategies applied as widely for pop music? Is 'derivativeness' seen as less comforting in the pop world. Or am I just being selectively blind and there are actually campaigns everywhere saying "If you liked David Gray, you'll LOVE Turin Brakes!"

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 28 November 2002 12:50 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, it's just a bit more blatant now.

I am sure I have seen something advertised in comparison to David Gray in exactly that way.

― RickyT (RickyT), Thursday, 28 November 2002 12:55 (twenty-three years ago)

The literary equivalent of the Tolkien and King comparisons is the comparison to Catcher In The Rye, though that may be fading. All American pomo has to be compared to Pynchon, by law.

I'm sure I have a book somewhere with the only cover quote being "A promising debut" - Gloucester Herald, or some such.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 28 November 2002 18:43 (twenty-three years ago)

All American pomo has to be compared to Pynchon, by law.

...and naturally I first read that as 'porno' which called strange visions to mind.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 28 November 2002 22:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Is there no book yet called 'pomo porno'? (What springs to mind is Robert Coover's wonderful 'Spanking The Maid'.)

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 28 November 2002 22:09 (twenty-three years ago)

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"A Real Page-Turner" - ilxor.com