When writers review
If you are a writer who does a less-than-complimentary review of another writer's book, you run the risk of one of two things.
1) If the writer whom you are reviewing is more famous than you, your bad review might come off as sour grapes.
2) If the writer is a rung or two lower on the publishing ladder, you run the risk of of being seen as snotty and snobby
I started writing book reviews when I was in my early twenties, back in Cape Town, South Africa. I wrote them for the local newspaper (ah, the days when newspapers still had reviews
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Talia Carner says:
When a writer reviews
To keep track on my reading (and to answer fans' quests to know what I read,) I post my reviews on Amazon. I love it when a book leaves me breathless. I give it a glorious review and five stars. Other times, there may be some drawbacks, which I explain, and I must take off a star or two. On occasions, when I am forced by a commitment (e.g., book group selection) to read a book that is truly lacking on many fronts, I give it a negative review with only one or two stars.
Therefore, these negative reviews of authors who are surely higher on the publishing rung than my lowly status might be perceived as sour grapes--but not when viewed in the context of all my other reviews.
So I hope.
Talia
Louise Young says:
negative reviews
I might be incredibly naive but I really don't understand why any author would write a bad review of another's book. More than anyone else, authors must realize the blood, sweat, tears, and profound pain that go into writing any book, the soul-searching and ego-baring that it takes to bring one's muse out into the open. I respect anyone who has the guts and ability to publish something, even if I find the results not to my liking. And I would never consider writing something "bad" about the finished product.
It seems to me that there are enough books published in the world that a critic should be able to find ample ones that can be praised without ever having to give a "bad" review.
A private critique is, of course, something entirely different and may be helpful if the writer is receptive to it. But to publish a public review that deliberately denegates someone's work -- I really don't understand how any author could do that to a fellow writer --
Talia Carner says:
Negative reviews of others' books
I have some fans, readers of my novels who often e-mail and ask me for recommendations of books I liked. I send them to my Amazon review page, where I've posted many good reviews.
I understand your concern about trashing another writer's work. I never give a negative review to a newcomer or a yet-unknown writer. In fact, I am not likely to read the whole book; I'd know early on that this novel is not for me. Rare are the books that keep me riveted to the end, and then I savor the flavor of every paragrpah and page--and am delighted to share my discovery with others.
But when recently I had to read a Henry James novel for a book group and even the moderator--a professor of English at a prestigious university--suggested that we start the book on page 140 and see the film in order to understand it, I felt that this was a case where as a contemporary fiction writer I had the perpective that my readers would appreciate.
Best,
Talia