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Friday, April 15, 2011

Pardon My Rant

(Pitch Contest with Natalie Fischer is below - Go Enter!)
This has been one of those weeks, so please excuse me while I diverge from the usual path for a moment of literary ranting.
I love the internet. Truly I do. There’s an endless store of information and countless opportunities to be found. But lately I’m having issues with book reviews and rating systems at online sites such as amazon and goodreads.
Have you ever loved a book, only to see it bashed in reviews? I’m not talking about well-balanced blog reviews with fair treatment of the positives and negatives. I’m talking about anonymous reviewers who spout off about how it’s the worst writing ever and the main character is a complete Mary Sue, and anyone who likes the book is just tasteless. Unfounded reviews that don’t support their opinions, or they attempt to present their opinion as fact. Or the worst kind, where the reviewer tears down a book and gets information wrong!
I recently read one by a man who had a historical time-travel romance put in his hands as “light summer reading” by the used book store clerk. Let’s just say it was not his preferred genre, but he was under the impression it was a history novel. He proceeded to shred the author most unkindly about the romance scenes and unbelievability of the time travel, all elements paramount to the genre which I thought were well done (plus he got facts wrong, grr!).
Any Joe Schmoe can login and type. But I think we need to remember these books are the livelihood of their authors. People are affected by the things we say about their work, so I feel it’s our responsibility to be fair and thoughtful. I appreciate honest, balanced reviews. The beauty of literature is that there’s something out there for everybody. Just because something’s not your cup of tea does not mean those who enjoy it should be deemed sub-literary.
Let’s be mature about this, shall we? Don’t make me stick my tongue out at you.

16 comments:

  1. You are singing my song, Sistah.

    I like honest reviews with specifics. Tearing down a book for the sake of personal entertainment shows the mean side of the reviewer.

    There are novels on the NYTimes bestseller list that I abhor but it is taste that drives my opinion. Not the author's writing style or subject.

    Whether in book reviews or crit groups, gentle criticism is the key, not vitriol.

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  2. Preach it, Huntress! Lol. That's what I'm saying. I've written my share of bad reviews, but I also try to point out any merits, or specify who might like it (ex. horror is not my thing, but if you like horror you might enjoy this, etc.)

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  3. I love that you posted this! In anything I have read, even things I really didn't enjoy, I can always find something positive to say. It is OK, and in fact good, to point out things you didn't like, but professionally.

    I've been lucky so far with reviews on my novel-- mostly positive with a few constructive comments. I can only hope it continues!

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  4. Thanks Shauna! Best of luck on your book - I'll have to check it out. :)

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  5. I totally agree. There is nothing wrong with honest reviews, but lets state facts. Don't read something in a genre you don't like and complain about it. It makes no sense. I've seen people post one star reviews for so many things that have me scratching my head like, huh? That hasn't nothing to do with the story or writing.

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  6. Yes, Kelley! Those random, outlier one-star reviews with some hidden agenda are unfair. I'm all for expressing our freedom of speech, but do we really need to tear each other down in the process? I don't think so.

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  7. A perfect example: Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. Granted, The Time Traveller's Wife was a tough act to follow, but I thought Symmetry had a killer plot and some really clever concepts. yet, it got bashed in Entertainment Weekly, of all places. Grrrr!

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  8. Eek, Alison, that had to hurt Ms. Niffenegger, coming from EW. Professional bashings are a whole different ball game!

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  9. *shudder* I'm in the throws of reviews at the moment. I'm braced for knocks which will surely come. Some people live for being negative, but I think we are all aware of these negs and give them little attention (at least thats what I tell myself LOL).
    Great post Wendy.

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  10. I'd like to think that Inkpop has prepared me for reviews when I finally make it, but alas I think not.

    Like Leigh said, some people want to be the downer. But if your work is good then the positive reviews will out-weigh the bad.

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  11. The worst ones I see are the ones that go on and on about how the reviewer didn't approve of the subject matter (anorexia, sex, drinking, etc.) and never touch on anything else. I've seen several bad reviews for Sarah Dessen based on this and it's ridiculous.
    erica

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  12. Yes, Erica and Christy, I get frustrated when people are focusing on the small details, rather than the overall picture and message that can be learned from the placement of those details in the story. (Er, not sure that made any sense!) But I know what you mean.

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  13. I almost always check out the three-star reviews first on Amazon. I feel like I'll get a pretty good look at the good and the bad.

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  14. Jessie, that's so funny - I do the same thing! Three star reviews are usually the most well-rounded. That's good advice.

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  15. What's funny is that if I don't like a book, I don't finish it. And if I don't finish it, I really can't write an honest review.

    I can't bring myself to post a review of a book and tear it to shreds. I'd just leave it alone.
    And what's interesting is that almost any good book will have a few ones and twos bringing down the overall rating. I think I'm with Jessie, too. In that, if there are a lot of three-star reviews, those are the ones that will actually have the positives and negatives. I rarely look at one-star anything.

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  16. Yes! And I so agree with Erica and Christy! Those types of reviews make me angry.

    I also hate the ones where people give it one star because it wasn't available on Kindle or something else that's usually out of the author's control. They're bringing down the average rating when their criticism has nothing to do with the quality of the book.

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