[WRITING] Umberto Eco, How to Write a Thesis

[rfmcdonald]

Brain Pickings had a post ("Umberto Eco’s Advice to Writers") publicizing Umberto Eco's 1977 How to Write a Thesis. I'm actuallly quite interested in this book: he has some good tips.

Do not use ellipsis and exclamation points, and do not explain ironies. It is possible to use language that is referential or language that is figurative. By referential language, I mean a language that is recognized by all, in which all things are called by their most common name, and that does not lend itself to misunderstandings.

[…]

We either use rhetorical figures effectively, or we do not use them at all. If we use them it is because we presume our reader is capable of catching them, and because we believe that we will appear more incisive and convincing. In this case, we should not be ashamed of them, and we should not explain them. If we think that our reader is an idiot, we should not use rhetorical figures, but if we use them and feel the need to explain them, we are essentially calling the reader an idiot. In turn, he will take revenge by calling the author an idiot.