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juushikaSome chatter about books:
When over at my parents's house, Mum and I got to talking about the lack of negative book reviews. She encountered it on Goodreads, and they were talking about it in reference to the top reviewers on Amazon. The reasoning that her discussion group had come up with: if you finish a book, it probably warrants at least three stars, an "average" rating or better. If you're taking the time and energy to leave a review, this is probably doubly true. Why put time and work, passive and especially active, into reading something that warrants neither? Especially for voracious readers, or people who write a lot of reviews—it just isn't worth it to force yourself to slog through a pile of shit just to come out the other side and give it a thumbs down.
I believe the issue is compounded by negative responses to negative reviews. Of course, this isn't always the case: an inarguably really bad book that receives a coherent review stating that the book is indeed really bad is actually likely to warrant positive response, sometimes a lot of positive response—depending, mostly, on how many people are in search of information about the book. However, few books can be classified as "inarguably bad" (One for Sorrow, Two for Joy, I'm looking at you); reader's tastes and standards vary, sometimes to a huge extent, and one person's negative review may be another person's favorite book. And that is where negative responses come from: if you say something critical about a book that other people like, the people that like the book will critique your review—often not on the basis of the review's merits, but because they disagree with its content. I can point to Cry to Heaven (which I called "enjoyable, but forgettable"). (...except for my now-glaring typo...) It's not a bad review, if I may say so myself. It's not apologetic, but it realizes strengths and weaknesses, and gives a final summary of the book as a swift read that leave no lasting impression.
However, this novel has an average 4.5 star review on Amazon, where I gave it two. It received only 4 of 14 "helpful" votes. The same is true for Good Omens ("Too light and funny for its own good," my two stars to the average of 4.5, 5 of 12 people voted the review "helpful") and a few more of my book reviews on Amazon (A Great and Terrible Beauty/Rebel Angels, Sideways). If you disagree with people, they will disagree with you, especially when they are in passionate disagreement, which is the case when you personally dislike a book that they loved. This disagreement is based on content, not on usefulness, not of style, not on whether or not the reviews is fair. And it's disheartening, as a reviewer, to put together thoughtful criticism and then have people tell you it's not thoughtful and not useful. Positive reviews are safer territory: they don't garter the same attention or disagreement—I imagine readers are more likely to go through "protecting" their favorite books than they are to trash positive reviews of the books that they dislike.
So of course the result is a predominance of positive reviews, positive reviews are often more visible (on Amazon, helpful votes push reviews closer to the first page), and once a book achieves a generally established positive rating, it is likely to continue to get more and more reviews which accord to that rating—the path of least resistance is always easiest, even here. That's regrettable, I think—the more people approve of a book, the more they will continue to approve of the book, and the voice of dissent—which is rare enough to find, since readers don't always finish the books they dislike—becomes increasingly quiet, increasingly repressed. That voice is necessary, because it keeps a book, or indeed any other media, from gaining more attention than it deserves, and because it warns readers that even though a lot of people like this book, some people do not, and depending on their tastes and standards they may be in the second category.
The obvious solution is for people to write negative reviews, but that means completing books they dislike (or perhaps leaving partial reviews, "I hated this book too much even to finish it") and ignoring the negative feedback they receive. Thinking about the issue makes me want to write more negative reviews myself. In fact, that was the only reason I finished and wrote a review of The Red Tent (complaining the whole way through). I've passed over reviewing books before (The Other Boleyn Girl springs to mind) because it seemed pointless to pull together the energy to discuss a book that I barely cared for enough to finish, all so that review would receive negative reviews—it's another 4.5'er on Amazon, and goodness all knows why, because it was a mashup of bland plot, a misplaced protagonist, and laughably bad writing. I've failed to finish books (Sharp Objects in particular, which features both excruciating writing and the world's worst pacing) which were just so painfully bad that I couldn't force myself through them—and then wished I had been able, if only to warn people away (it has an average 4.0 review).
But, of course, it defeats the purpose of loving books and loving reading if I go in search of popular texts I may dislike so I can read, hate, and negatively review them. I think the best compromise for me is to pull books off of the library shelves without research or reading reviews—it's a good way to find books that are in need of reviews, is sometimes the source of gems and great finds I would never discover any other way, and gives me the chance to try to read a variety of material, some of which I expect will be less than wonderful, and give reviews accordingly. As for negative feedback on Amazon, I've learned to ignore it or expect it. I don't know if I'll ever be able to read negative partial reviews as I should have for Sharp Objects—I prefer to restrain my opinion until I can give an informed response, and when critiquing a book, "having read it" is generally the criteria for "informed." Either way, there is always room for intelligent and coherent disagreement, and in the realm of books it is sorely needed—and if I write book reviews, I might as well be able to supply those alternate viewpoints when I hold them.
Blather aside! I am finally beginning to use my Goodreads account, and you're welcome to join or add me. Goodreads is a site that allows you to catalog your books, leave reviews, network with other readers, and join various discussion groups. It is free to use. I'm Juushika on there, as I am almost everywhere else. I will be crossposting my reviews to Goodreads, and I'll be adding unreviewed listings of other books in my library (in bits and pieces, as I own hundreds of books which are currently scattered over a dozen boxes and two book shelves), but mostly I hope to use the site to engage in book discussion. This sort of post, for example, would probably receive a mite more feedback over there than it does here—I hope I can find forums to discuss books, subjects, genres, literary issues ... the sort of discussion I miss from school, without the nervous breakdown-inspiring environment.
(My TitleHere.Net site is down because of payment issues, and while it's down, my moodtheme pictures are gone. I am brokenhearted about this, I cannot even tell you. This should have Kronk's shoulder devil and his glasses ... but instead: nothing! Sadness overwhelming.)
When over at my parents's house, Mum and I got to talking about the lack of negative book reviews. She encountered it on Goodreads, and they were talking about it in reference to the top reviewers on Amazon. The reasoning that her discussion group had come up with: if you finish a book, it probably warrants at least three stars, an "average" rating or better. If you're taking the time and energy to leave a review, this is probably doubly true. Why put time and work, passive and especially active, into reading something that warrants neither? Especially for voracious readers, or people who write a lot of reviews—it just isn't worth it to force yourself to slog through a pile of shit just to come out the other side and give it a thumbs down.
I believe the issue is compounded by negative responses to negative reviews. Of course, this isn't always the case: an inarguably really bad book that receives a coherent review stating that the book is indeed really bad is actually likely to warrant positive response, sometimes a lot of positive response—depending, mostly, on how many people are in search of information about the book. However, few books can be classified as "inarguably bad" (One for Sorrow, Two for Joy, I'm looking at you); reader's tastes and standards vary, sometimes to a huge extent, and one person's negative review may be another person's favorite book. And that is where negative responses come from: if you say something critical about a book that other people like, the people that like the book will critique your review—often not on the basis of the review's merits, but because they disagree with its content. I can point to Cry to Heaven (which I called "enjoyable, but forgettable"). (...except for my now-glaring typo...) It's not a bad review, if I may say so myself. It's not apologetic, but it realizes strengths and weaknesses, and gives a final summary of the book as a swift read that leave no lasting impression.
However, this novel has an average 4.5 star review on Amazon, where I gave it two. It received only 4 of 14 "helpful" votes. The same is true for Good Omens ("Too light and funny for its own good," my two stars to the average of 4.5, 5 of 12 people voted the review "helpful") and a few more of my book reviews on Amazon (A Great and Terrible Beauty/Rebel Angels, Sideways). If you disagree with people, they will disagree with you, especially when they are in passionate disagreement, which is the case when you personally dislike a book that they loved. This disagreement is based on content, not on usefulness, not of style, not on whether or not the reviews is fair. And it's disheartening, as a reviewer, to put together thoughtful criticism and then have people tell you it's not thoughtful and not useful. Positive reviews are safer territory: they don't garter the same attention or disagreement—I imagine readers are more likely to go through "protecting" their favorite books than they are to trash positive reviews of the books that they dislike.
So of course the result is a predominance of positive reviews, positive reviews are often more visible (on Amazon, helpful votes push reviews closer to the first page), and once a book achieves a generally established positive rating, it is likely to continue to get more and more reviews which accord to that rating—the path of least resistance is always easiest, even here. That's regrettable, I think—the more people approve of a book, the more they will continue to approve of the book, and the voice of dissent—which is rare enough to find, since readers don't always finish the books they dislike—becomes increasingly quiet, increasingly repressed. That voice is necessary, because it keeps a book, or indeed any other media, from gaining more attention than it deserves, and because it warns readers that even though a lot of people like this book, some people do not, and depending on their tastes and standards they may be in the second category.
The obvious solution is for people to write negative reviews, but that means completing books they dislike (or perhaps leaving partial reviews, "I hated this book too much even to finish it") and ignoring the negative feedback they receive. Thinking about the issue makes me want to write more negative reviews myself. In fact, that was the only reason I finished and wrote a review of The Red Tent (complaining the whole way through). I've passed over reviewing books before (The Other Boleyn Girl springs to mind) because it seemed pointless to pull together the energy to discuss a book that I barely cared for enough to finish, all so that review would receive negative reviews—it's another 4.5'er on Amazon, and goodness all knows why, because it was a mashup of bland plot, a misplaced protagonist, and laughably bad writing. I've failed to finish books (Sharp Objects in particular, which features both excruciating writing and the world's worst pacing) which were just so painfully bad that I couldn't force myself through them—and then wished I had been able, if only to warn people away (it has an average 4.0 review).
But, of course, it defeats the purpose of loving books and loving reading if I go in search of popular texts I may dislike so I can read, hate, and negatively review them. I think the best compromise for me is to pull books off of the library shelves without research or reading reviews—it's a good way to find books that are in need of reviews, is sometimes the source of gems and great finds I would never discover any other way, and gives me the chance to try to read a variety of material, some of which I expect will be less than wonderful, and give reviews accordingly. As for negative feedback on Amazon, I've learned to ignore it or expect it. I don't know if I'll ever be able to read negative partial reviews as I should have for Sharp Objects—I prefer to restrain my opinion until I can give an informed response, and when critiquing a book, "having read it" is generally the criteria for "informed." Either way, there is always room for intelligent and coherent disagreement, and in the realm of books it is sorely needed—and if I write book reviews, I might as well be able to supply those alternate viewpoints when I hold them.
Blather aside! I am finally beginning to use my Goodreads account, and you're welcome to join or add me. Goodreads is a site that allows you to catalog your books, leave reviews, network with other readers, and join various discussion groups. It is free to use. I'm Juushika on there, as I am almost everywhere else. I will be crossposting my reviews to Goodreads, and I'll be adding unreviewed listings of other books in my library (in bits and pieces, as I own hundreds of books which are currently scattered over a dozen boxes and two book shelves), but mostly I hope to use the site to engage in book discussion. This sort of post, for example, would probably receive a mite more feedback over there than it does here—I hope I can find forums to discuss books, subjects, genres, literary issues ... the sort of discussion I miss from school, without the nervous breakdown-inspiring environment.
(My TitleHere.Net site is down because of payment issues, and while it's down, my moodtheme pictures are gone. I am brokenhearted about this, I cannot even tell you. This should have Kronk's shoulder devil and his glasses ... but instead: nothing! Sadness overwhelming.)
