Readers’ opinions on this book vary greatly: some give it the highest rating, while others feel frustrated and quit before reaching the halfway mark. Among my close friends, I’m the only one who finished it cover to cover, yet my overall rating for the book remains low.
The book contains quite a lot of very useful information for anyone who writes in Russian. Furthermore, this review itself is certainly an example that the authors would gladly edit! 😉
The authors discuss filler words that add no value to the text, euphemisms as a barrier to honest opinions, good article structure, specificity over abstraction, and even a bit about crafting a strong resume.
So why is my rating so low? There are a few reasons.
The book is hard to read. While the authors advocate for beautiful, clear Russian, their writing lacks even a touch of ease. I once devoured Nora Gal’s book, which the authors reference, like a novel, unable to put it down. Write, Shorten, however, is an entirely different experience: after a few pages, I had to stop and take a breath, physically feeling my brain strain. I ended up reading several other books alongside it—simply needing to switch away.
From the very first pages, the authors assert that good writing shouldn’t be pompous. Yet, the entire tone, even the embedded comic, is filled with just that—pomposity and self-importance. Look at us, they seem to say, here’s a bad text, and here we are making it good. And in the comic, it’s all about “enemies all around and we’re the ones wearing the white hats.”
I also don’t believe all their edits are as flawless as they suggest. At times, they remove details carrying subtle nuances. Yes, the text becomes shorter, even lighter, but the nuances are lost. Furthermore, after many of their edits, the texts indeed become easier to read, but they turn into information bulletins—not every text should feel like a news brief.
Sometimes my aversion was purely emotional. More and more, I caught myself feeling like the authors were trying to sell me something (either their methods or themselves as editorial experts).
Despite its strengths, this is why I find the book flawed. It’s worth reading, but many tips should be taken with caution.
One aspect that stands out is the authors’ stance on the book’s digital version. In the very first chapter, they repeatedly stress that the most important thing is care for the reader. Yet, they also state that this book will NEVER be available in digital form, and any digital versions are simply blatant piracy. Excuse me, but where is the care for me as a reader? I, as a reader, prefer digital books, rarely reading paper copies, and have been purchasing (note: purchasing) mainly digital books for several years now. But due to the authors’ “care for the reader,” they outright deny me the right to read it digitally. After that, it’s hard to believe in the material’s sincerity.
Ma rating: 2/5
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