I don't know about 30 seconds. [30-Second Literature by Ella Berthoud]

I suppose 30-Second Literature is a title that assumes a given reading speed, but as I've said previously, I'm not a fast reader. Highlighting 50 literature forms, genres, and styles in less than 200 pages is a great goal, and the book hits the mark. Explaining each of them in less than a minute? I don't know about that.

To each writing format is dedicated two pages. On one we have an artist abstraction of the format. The preceding page includes a short outline, the so-called 3-second plot, an expanded, more detailed outline, a would-be 3-minute theme, and paradoxically, a larger (more general) chunk of text, the 30-second thesis. Accompanying text descriptors that give varying degrees of examples and applications are a bibliography, a list of related topics, and a quick summary of points made throughout the page. As I read I read all the timed sections and the summary, but skimmed the bibliography only when I was interested in more.

I imagine the best way to use this book will be as a reference. As a quick reference one might head to the index, find the respective page(s), and quickly read the 3-second plot as a refresher. Conversely, a reader might head to the other passages on the page depending on what they are looking for. In that sense I think the book is great. Still, I found myself confused at times by technical terms and would've appreciated examples, but a book with a time frame included in its title is not out to be that kind of book. Writers and literary types, maybe even English Lit students, are the audience I imagine would be most appreciative of this (overall) relatively quick read. For what 30-Second Literature purports to be it did a great job. 5 stars from me.

30-Second Literature by Ella Berthoud is set for publication March 2020.