The Problem of Overwriting

The trouble with overwritten prose is that it takes away from the reader the opportunity to imagine a scene. We do not want to be told everything; we want a few brushstrokes, a few carefully chosen adjectives, and then we can do the rest ourselves. It's Roget's fault, of course. I blame him and his wretched thesaurus. Put it away.

Alexander McCall Smith on Writing Concisely – WSJ.com.