anything more than

[theol]

Few novelists over 80 are able to produce anything more than desiccated works--boring shadows of former books.

What is the meaning of "anything more than"?
Thanks.

 

[Rover_KE]

Always tell us the source and author of any text you quote, please, theol.

 

[theol]

Always tell us the source and author of any text you quote, please, theol.

from the website below

https://gre.magoosh.com/flashcards/vocabulary/advanced-words-6/desiccated

desiccated

adjective: uninteresting, lacking vitality

Few novelists over 80 are able to produce anything more than desiccated works--boring shadows of former books.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

just copied all of it from the website

 

[Tarheel]

"Few novelists over 80 are able to produce anything more than desiccated works--boring shadows of former books."

What is the meaning of "anything more than"?
[STRIKE]Thanks[/STRIKE].

Please use the "Thank" button.

I don't know "dessicated" but the context tells you what's intended. Anybody over eighty is washed up as a writer. They don't have what it takes.

anything more than - not better than

We get the meaning from the entire text moreso than individual phrases. That's definitely true in this case.

 

[theol]

I don't know "dessicated" but the context tells you what's intended. Anybody over eighty is washed up as a writer. They don't have what it takes.

anything more than - not better than

We get the meaning from the entire text moreso than individual phrases. That's definitely true in this case.

For this part of the sentence "Few novelists over 80 are able to produce anything more than desiccated works"
Does it mean "Only few 80 year-old novelists can produce more interesting works but not desiccated works"?

 

[jutfrank]

Very basically, desiccated means 'low quality' and more means 'of higher quality'.