Seems this article in the Huffington Post about how blogs cannot possibly replace book reviews in newspapers made KatieBabs’ head spin around on her neck. (With anger, not because she’s possessed by the spirit of Col. Bimbo or anything). Bloggers cannot possibly replace book reviewers in newspapers, cries the author. Oh, they are so solipsistic and self-absorbed, and they use “I” too much.
So would it be snide of me to point out that if newspapers paid attention to the more profitable market share of fiction – that would be romance, folks – and reviewed books such as Kresley Cole’s, Nora Roberts’, or Nalini Singh’s recent novels, they might not necessarily be facing such dire financial straits? What, my economics has flaws? Please. My math skills bring all the boys to the yard, but mostly because they
doesn’t
don’t make any sense on this planet and thus are entertaining.
Yes, that’s a simplistic analysis and certainly one review of a romance novel would not turn the mothership of the economy around for any given newspaper, but while I try not to pay too much attention to analysis of blogs as writing formats, the bemoaning of the bloggers as the heiresses apparent to the now-dying review pages of newspapers bugs the crapola out of me:
I think book reviews on blogs—particularly those of the Blogspot variety—tend to be self-indulgent. Book reviewing bloggers need to move away from opinion in favor of judgment. How does the book compare to—and fit in with—the author’s previous work? What’s the book’s place in the genre? The canon? Does the writer succeed in doing what he or she set out to do—meaning, is it the book they meant it to be? Whether it’s the book the blogger wanted it to be is of much less importance to me, frankly.
We review romance because no one else in print did so consistently. I hold the books I read to any number of measuring standards as I write a review. Self-indulgent reflections on romance? Try: neglected as a genre too long. Put that in your newspaper and smoke it.
“It’s as though they think it can’t be art if it has a happy ending.”
Seems to me the power of a story lies in the struggle or how the characters deal with the obstacles they face. Whether it ends happily or sadly, it shouldn’t negate the worthiness of the struggle. Sort of like that notion, it’s not whether you win or loose, it’s how you play the game.
I disagree with you, Keora, that professional book critics look down on any movie that’s not serious—A.O. Scott in the NY Times has written some highly complimentary reviews of happy movies, for instance. I do however beleive that romance as a genre is not considered worthy of review by many in the book review community. And that is what frustrates me, as a reader.
Many romance novels deal with death, loss, love, coming of age, family trauma, and many other weighty issues that are discussed in book reviews. I’d like to see more of the books in this genre entering into those discussions.
I went and read this blog post and reacted strongly to much of what others have pointed out above. However, as a recovering doctoral student in comparative literature I would like to add my 2 cents here as well.
Warren says:
Okay… so who reads the book? A disembodied Emersonian eyeball? As a grad student I had to do time teaching freshman composition. One of the first habits I struggled to rid my students of was their god-awful use of impersonal pronouns to add gravitas to their prose. Of course, using the first person when describing the action of a book would be entirely self-indulgent and silly, but when actually talking about what you think of the book, wouldn’t it be somewhat necessary?
Yes, there are ways to review a work of literature without obviously bringing oneself into the process, but blogs as a genre themselves don’t lend to this. A person wanting to read about what others think of a book usually expect there to be an opinion present somewhere in the review. When one reads a blog, one expects and looks for a more personal tone (well, at least I DO)
Can someone also explain to me what a spamword is? I see it all over the comments and want one too. : )
I have read many great blog reviews and tend to avoid print reviews for many of the reasons already stated. Truly, I would rather read an opinion from someone who shares not only my taste in books but in how I approach them. For example, for books I really anticipate eagerly, I don’t want plot spoilers and I find a lot of lengthly reviews include too much plot description for me. I love not knowing what’s on even the beginning pages because I emotionally engage and “professional” reviews from newspapers (in my limited experience) tend to exclude the reviewer’s personal emotional reaction to the book.
Some of the most useful reviews to me have been ones from readers who aren’t even reviewers, like when Nalini Singh does a contest on her blog and sends out 15 or so ARCs of her upcoming book to a sampling of her actual readers along with a request to talk them up around the internet. Sure, a lot of them are glorified fangirl squeeing that have little in the way of analysis, but she usually gets a few that are smart, well thought out, and *gasp* enjoyable to read for their glorious lack of any lit crit vibe.
spam word is the “ready28” or whatever that you have to type into the box to prove you’re a real person.
I think that there needs to be a second “Smart Bitches” book titled “Smart Bitching: How to Rant Like the Smart, Classy Bitch That You Are”.
This rant makes me so happy that I want to bring your attention to one little thing:
I just posted a book review on my blog today and *gasp* I used a couple of personal pronouns-oh,no! Whatever shall I do about such a violation of Reviewer Etiquette? Perhaps I can make amends by copying out pages from Stunk & White on a blackboard in triplicate:)
My blog is also one of those “blogspot” types that offended Warren so much and it was particularly unfair of her to paint a picture of all blogspot users with the same brush. She might not want to hear how someone got a hold of the book in question or other personal details but other folks might find that just as interesting as the book being reviewed and,depending on the blogger,it may be that personal connection that gets that blog the readership it does.
From my experience in checking out lit blogs,a good number of them are just out there to spread the good word about they books she/he likes and not out to compete with the print media. The lit websites Warren mentioned are not,IMO,out to take down the press but simply provide an alternate source of info about the book world. I’m sorry that newspapers are cutting down on their book coverage but maybe(as many other of the posters here have pointed out),they need to stop poking at the mote in blogger’s eyes and do something about the beam in their own.
The only review without bias, is the review where the reviewer never read the book.
Isn’t ignorance also a bias?
It occurs to me that this is perhaps why they succeed in finding an audience and the newspapers’ didn’t.
Huh. I’ve always taken what the author wrote as what the author intended for me to read. Quite frankly, I would find it completely useless to read a review telling me what the author intended. I can’t get inside the author’s head, I can only know the story as it’s written.
They published a book so it can be read. Once it’s in the reader’s hands, the only thing of importance is the reader’s reaction to it and understanding of it.
Amen to that… Books only work if they have readers. Has anyone read Jasper Fforde’s work? He makes a lot of jokes about book technology and the reader interface. : )
I read reviews for exactly two reasons:
1. Is the review entertainingly written?
2. Does it give me a clear sense of whether or not I will enjoy the book/film/game/whatever being reviewed?
How the reviewer fulfils those two points, and how many personal pronouns they throw in there, I don’t really care. But they’re pretty unlikely to achieve either by being pretentious asshats.
Though my city newspaper occasionally features lightning-fast genre fiction reviews, I have bought and read far, far more books as a result of reading this blog. Isn’t that the point of book reviews? To sell consumers on the books they should read, and turn them off the ones they should avoid?
More than any other genre, I think that romance novels need reviewing. The industry is so massive, and fractured into so many sub-genres; it can be difficult to find the kind of book you want to read (and a quality book at that). Also, let’s be honest: we all judge books by their covers. If I base my judgment on a stupid looking cover, I might decide to pass on a book that was perfect for me (and you know we all do it). I was turned off by Kresley Cole, thinking she was just another paranormal poser with cover issues, until the Smart Bitches here clued me in to her awesomeness.
I also find the use of first person pronouns in the reviews to be very helpful. Some books just don’t click for a person, and the Smart Bitches acknowledge this with statements like, “I think this…,” or, “For me, this didn’t work…” They don’t claim to speak for all of Romancelandia, just for themselves. And if a few other smart bitches decide that they agree, more power to them.
I actually like the personal context you get in blog reviews:
I hated this book because it reminded me of my mother-in-law’s poodle.
I loved this book because the hero has a huge tractor.
Robot erotica rocks, because people scare me.
I never read SF, but my Uncle Lenny insisted I read this.
Bloggers can establish their bona fides with readers in a way no print reviewer would dream of doing. The more we know about the reviewer, the better we’re able to calibrate the value of the review.
Who the hell thinks that blogs can or should replace mainstream media sources anyway? I’ve always thought of blogs as the Greek chorus of public media, and IMO both are critical to fulfilling the democratic mandate of a free press. Checks and balances, point and counterpoint, however you want to see it, I think it’s all about symbiosis, not absorption (or cannibalistic digestion, depending on your mixed metaphor of choice).
Why does she thinks it matters? It doesn’t matter – whether it’s print or blog, or whatever (and incidentally, what newspapers, and newspaper reviewiers, I read is all online) what I ask for is that the reviewer share my taste. And, of course, write a good review. It’s better if they’re funny and write well but when it comes down to it I want to know that that book, movie, CD or whatever I’m going to spend my valuable free time on is worth it.
OK, speaking as both a member of the Commentariat and the owner of a personal blog (not on blogspot, thank you very much) wherein I review a type of book that is quite often ignored by the New York Times (primarily YA f/sf, although I’ll also read adult f/sf) . . . well, DUH, it’s MY OPINION. However, what makes my opinion on YA f/sf any worse than the head reviewer for the NYT? I bet I’ve read a LOT more YA f/sf than s/he has, and therefore I’d be slightly more qualified to have an opinion on . . . what was it?
Oh yeah, that.
(What makes them think that we don’t consider those things? F/SF has at least as long a ‘canon’ as ‘lit fic’—hi, I can has Midsummer Night’s Dream?)
The people who read book reviews (and blog reviews) are bookbuyers. People in the industry who want to know what books to stock and keep up with “what’s popular”. The good thing (I think) about the Romance ‘genre’ (I hate that word, genre) is that bookbuyers don’t need reviews to buy Romance novels. Because they will always, always, always, sell no matter what. At least that’s my take on it. I could be completely wrong..
And the best review of a Romance novel is the one the lady behind the counter at your local bookstore gives, because she’s read every damn one of ‘em.. just like you!
“And if I ever cared to learn how to play, I would have been a true proficient.” (roughly) Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Pride & Prejudice.
Misogynistic wankers—if they had given 25% of the literature published today a second glance, maybe the rest of the world wouldn’t have felt the need to step in.
hello world i do agreee bitches need 2 stopp hatingggggg