1Jenson_AKA_DL
Have you ever noticed that reviews trashing books tend to be more popular than positive reviews? I've been noticing this trend quite a bit on LT. I'm always interested in the "hot reviews" on the home page and the ones that seem to stay the longest are, for the most part, bad reviews of popular books. When my reviews are sorted by thumbs every one that shows up in my books reviewed by other LTers are all negative reviews.
Even one of my more negative reviews, I've only done a few negatives, is second on my list of thumbed up reviews.
Any thoughts or theories?
Even one of my more negative reviews, I've only done a few negatives, is second on my list of thumbed up reviews.
Any thoughts or theories?
2The_Kat_Cache
Some ideas:
1. Bad reviews tend to be more informative.
2. Bad reviews tend to be funnier.
3. Bad reviews of popular books tend to stand out.
4. If a book's very popular and you share that person's negative evaluation of the book, there's a sense of solidarity.
1. Bad reviews tend to be more informative.
2. Bad reviews tend to be funnier.
3. Bad reviews of popular books tend to stand out.
4. If a book's very popular and you share that person's negative evaluation of the book, there's a sense of solidarity.
3CarlosMcRey
Well, whether you consider it a good thing or a bad thing, a lot of people get pleasure out of snarkiness, so there is that. And it's much easier for a reviewer to be colorful/entertaining when they're taking the piss out of a book. Trying to describe why a work is a transcendent piece of writing is much more difficult and generally less fun to read.
I think there's also the fact that they are negative reviews of popular books. If you've read a book that everyone else is raving about and found it disappointing, you're probably going to feel a little frustration. Sometimes it's difficult to articulate what you find disappointing in a book, and when everyone else seems to like it, it's easy to feel as if maybe you're just not getting something. So when you read a review that really pulls that work to pieces, not only do you feel like someone else shares your opinion, but they often manage to verbalize/conceptualize frustrations that you couldn't quite put your finger on. Or at least that's my experience.
I think there's also the fact that they are negative reviews of popular books. If you've read a book that everyone else is raving about and found it disappointing, you're probably going to feel a little frustration. Sometimes it's difficult to articulate what you find disappointing in a book, and when everyone else seems to like it, it's easy to feel as if maybe you're just not getting something. So when you read a review that really pulls that work to pieces, not only do you feel like someone else shares your opinion, but they often manage to verbalize/conceptualize frustrations that you couldn't quite put your finger on. Or at least that's my experience.
4Caramellunacy
Admittedly, I've seen negative reviews of popular books stay up there for a long time, but I couldn't even look at the hot reviews for months because it seemed like every review up there was a squee-fest about Breaking Dawn, so I haven't really been struck by a wave of negativity. (Not to say that you're wrong, just that I haven't really noticed.)
First off, they're reviews of popular books, so more people are going to be looking at and have opinions on those than on something more obscure. Personally, I usually find negative reviews (though not necessarily those that have made it onto the hot reviews page) to be more informative and more interesting than positive reviews because especially in the case of popular books that everyone else seems to love, the reviewer is often trying to come to terms with just why he or she didn't like it. That makes for much more interesting reading to me than - omg! This book changed my life, it was so good...
So I'm often more likely to thumbs-up a negative review - provided it doesn't strike me as mean...
(and I think CarlosMcRey hit on some really good points as well)
First off, they're reviews of popular books, so more people are going to be looking at and have opinions on those than on something more obscure. Personally, I usually find negative reviews (though not necessarily those that have made it onto the hot reviews page) to be more informative and more interesting than positive reviews because especially in the case of popular books that everyone else seems to love, the reviewer is often trying to come to terms with just why he or she didn't like it. That makes for much more interesting reading to me than - omg! This book changed my life, it was so good...
So I'm often more likely to thumbs-up a negative review - provided it doesn't strike me as mean...
(and I think CarlosMcRey hit on some really good points as well)
5Toni_Dye_Stevens
Need some advice. How do you deal with a situation where you find yourself unable to write an objective review because the book was offensive? Do you still write a negative review or go back to the author and explain why you can't write a review for them? Or do you let the author know you will be writing something unfavorable? I'm a little stymied here.
6lilithcat
>5 Toni_Dye_Stevens:
you find yourself unable to write an objective review because the book was offensive
Those aren't contradictory. You can write an objective review of an offensive book; you just need to say why you found it offensive. And I see no reason to give the author a heads-up. Reviews are not written for the author. They are written for other readers.
Authors should expect both positive and negative reviews. If they don't, they should stop writing.
you find yourself unable to write an objective review because the book was offensive
Those aren't contradictory. You can write an objective review of an offensive book; you just need to say why you found it offensive. And I see no reason to give the author a heads-up. Reviews are not written for the author. They are written for other readers.
Authors should expect both positive and negative reviews. If they don't, they should stop writing.
7Toni_Dye_Stevens
>6 lilithcat: I'm fairly new at review writing so thanks for the feedback.
8MarthaJeanne
An objective review of an offensive book is one that says that it is offensive, and why. Authors who publish books that other find offensive have to expect negative reviews. Please let us know in your review so we can avoid it.
9reading_fox
>5 Toni_Dye_Stevens: - remembering it's why it's offensive toyou, and that other readers with other tastes may not be so perturbed.
10Cecrow
Good answers here; the "why" part is the most important, so other readers can judge if they would be likely to have the same reaction as you.
I've been conflicted over books that I enjoyed elements of but encountered content I think might offend other readers. Then I write a review along the lines of "I liked this for these reasons, but be warned it also has these other elements so steer clear if you don't want to read that kind of thing."
I can only think of one instance where I was personally offended, and I think I said "I can handle a shot or two, but when it went on and on that became too much for me and I began to see this as its central message, not just an incidental element." I'm not crazy about cancelling a book that offends me, but if I think it carries the point too far then I'm going to say so.
I've been conflicted over books that I enjoyed elements of but encountered content I think might offend other readers. Then I write a review along the lines of "I liked this for these reasons, but be warned it also has these other elements so steer clear if you don't want to read that kind of thing."
I can only think of one instance where I was personally offended, and I think I said "I can handle a shot or two, but when it went on and on that became too much for me and I began to see this as its central message, not just an incidental element." I'm not crazy about cancelling a book that offends me, but if I think it carries the point too far then I'm going to say so.
11JenniferRobb
>5 Toni_Dye_Stevens:
If the author specifically asked you for a review (i.e. someone you know, someone you agreed to write a review for) or you got the book in exchange for writing a review, then it might be appropriate to contact the author or the company/publisher who provided the book to you and explain why you feel you can't write a favorable review.
Otherwise (as someone else said above), just write the review you feel is appropriate to the book. If you found the book offensive, say that. I've written several reviews where I say "this book isn't for me" or "I'm older than the age group this book is written for" (if it's a YA novel) etc.
I personally prefer the honest reviews to those that just say "oh, this was the greatest book ever". :)
If the author specifically asked you for a review (i.e. someone you know, someone you agreed to write a review for) or you got the book in exchange for writing a review, then it might be appropriate to contact the author or the company/publisher who provided the book to you and explain why you feel you can't write a favorable review.
Otherwise (as someone else said above), just write the review you feel is appropriate to the book. If you found the book offensive, say that. I've written several reviews where I say "this book isn't for me" or "I'm older than the age group this book is written for" (if it's a YA novel) etc.
I personally prefer the honest reviews to those that just say "oh, this was the greatest book ever". :)
12Enakpoweri
Bad reviews are easily by words of mouth because it's trigger emotion and most people are highly emotional when they are skeptical.
13Enakpoweri
Bad reviews are easily spread by words of mouth because it's trigger emotion and most people are highly emotional when they are skeptical.
14MarthaJeanne
If a new author is trying to get reviews, it's often very useful to go to Amazon and read the first few pages of a book in their 'Look Inside'. You sometimes find that the author cannot write clear grammatical English. Of course, sometimes you don't have to do this because the review spam already lets you know the quality of the writing.
