Comments on: On reviews

By: Rachel

Rachel — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:01:46 +0000

I think the intense boom in blog reviewing is what prompted me to think more about the authors reading what I write. There are plenty of great sources for consumer-directed reviews, and reviews for librarians and booksellers, and there are plenty of other sources for buzz…and what I found I wanted to do was not just to put my two cents out there and recommend what I like, but also to sort of express my admiration. It works out well for me, and it’s a nice break from years of academic lit crit papers in college and grad school….

By: Malinda Lo

Malinda Lo — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:50:37 +0000

That’s great! This is one of the reasons I like your blog — there’s a clear POV behind them, and I respect that.

By: Malinda Lo

Malinda Lo — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:50:06 +0000

Steph, I will take your word that those reviews are good. Thanks! I think that learning how to take criticism is a key part of becoming a writer, and a good workshop is the perfect place to learn that.

By: Lenore

Lenore — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:01:27 +0000

I write my reviews mainly for me – to have a chance to think about the reading experience I just had and put those thoughts coherently on “paper”. If my blog readers get something out of them, that’s great too.

By: Steph Su

Steph Su — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:32:34 +0000

I think that if I ever achieve my dream of becoming a published author, I’m likely to take your approach to reading and writing reviews, Malinda. Even during my writing workshops, while I appreciate the viewpoints of others, as they will occasionally point things out to me that I miss due to my nearsighted love for my “baby,” I’ve come to realize that, ya know, no one’s going to be able to write a book that will please EVERYONE. Ultimately criticisms and reviews and opinions come down to personal taste, and even that varies day by day.

On the other hand, the reviews I’ve read so far of ASH have got me pacing around my room, desperately wanting to read it. That’s how good they are.

By: Aerin

Aerin — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:26:38 +0000

Malinda – I used this post as a jumping off point for my Review Policy –

http://www.insearchofgiants.com/2009/06/how-i-review-or-conversation-with-my.html

By: Malinda Lo

Malinda Lo — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:54:33 +0000

And I think that’s a perfectly legitimate attitude!

By: Malinda Lo

Malinda Lo — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:53:56 +0000

Rachel, that’s interesting that you imagine what the author might think. I have to say when I was writing reviews, I had to avoid that entirely. I always tried to envision a review as any other piece of writing — an essay. It has its own identity. That, of course, doesn’t necessarily apply to the thousands of micro-reviews flooding the web these days.

I had the same reaction to The Little Stranger: Yay, I like Sarah Waters even when she’s not writing about lesbians! LOL.

By: Malinda Lo

Malinda Lo — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:50:27 +0000

That’s totally true, Cindy — not everyone will love (or hate) any book. So I guess that’s why I feel like it’s not necessary to read them at all. They will exist with or without me!

By: Susan Ross

Susan Ross — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:07:59 +0000

“Every great advance in natural knowledge has involved the absolute rejection of authority.” – Thomas Huxley

push forward and remember that we are worse critic and sticks and stones…but words will never hurt me.