Anybody else love reading bad reviews?

[replica145]

I gave up on reviews when someone gave Slaughterhouse Five one star because they didn't like that the timeline jumps around.

I actually skip right to the 3 star reviews. A lot of five-star reviews or one-star reviews aren't helpful for obvious reasons.

[Pomtroll]

I check out both bad & good reviews. I check other reviews posted by the person giving that bad review. If we tend to agree on books I take the review more seriously. But it I also check a few previous views by those posting good reviews. Especially those writing, "This is the best book I have ever read!!!"

[emellaich]

I too read one good review and then the bad ones, but evading this thread, I just realized how much review reading I do for a purchase under $10. Maybe in a few years I will stop by books and just read the reviews for cheap entertainment.

[xg4bx]

Originally Posted by emellaich

I too read one good review and then the bad ones, but evading this thread, I just realized how much review reading I do for a purchase under $10. Maybe in a few years I will stop by books and just read the reviews for cheap entertainment.

the thing is that many times the reviews are more entertaining than the books themselves lol. theres a lot of funny people out there, both ha-ha funny and tragically funny.


someone earlier mentioned authors jumping in and responding to reviews. that rarely goes well. it usually devolves into the author calling the reviewer an idiot. if you can't take criticism keep your work to yourself and don't publish it for the public at large.

[Pickering]

I've even read a book because of bad reviews. Here are some quotes from SERIAL:

I got this book for free on Kindle, and I feel I overpaid.

If there is a redeeming value - it is that the book is short.

The average person should probably not be exposed to this imagery.

I wish that I could go back and bleach the words from my brain.

I am an elementary school teacher, and I believe my students could have written a more sophisticated ending.

If I could have rated this book lower than one star I would have.

It honestly makes me scared to think that there are people out there with this kind of imagination.

to call this garbage doesn't come close to describing this piece of trash.

How can you not want to read this book after reading the one star reviews (140+ of them).

[RainingLemur]

Originally Posted by Pickering

I've even read a book because of bad reviews. Here are some quotes from SERIAL:



How can you not want to read this book after reading the one star reviews (140+ of them).

Haha. Those are great. So great that I got the book.

[Sweetpea]

Often, I come across reviews for books by people for whom the book was not written. A few months ago, some backlist children's books were digitized (a western series). I read and loved the series when I was young and apparently more people did. So, 20 years later, they bought the first of the series and gave it a terrible review because "it was written so simply" but also because "the language used is outdated"...

[soulfuldog]

Originally Posted by Pickering

I've even read a book because of bad reviews.

How can you not want to read this book after reading the one star reviews (140+ of them).

"I got this book for free on Kindle, and I feel I overpaid."

"If there is a redeeming value - it is that the book is short."

I like these two quotes in particular, and I'm now tempted to read this book. However, the fact it isn't so badly reviewed here in the Amazon UK site, puts me off a little.....

Bad reviews can be great fun to read, as long as they are based on the actual item and not just someone complaining because they don't like the author/singer/company etc or it wasn't delivered etc. I really like the reviews of the $6000 book someone posted on these forums just recently. Can't remember what it was though!

[odiakkoh]

I thought serial had potential but the ending was just horrible.

[mldavis2]

Which brings up another issue that bothers me. I read a few ARC pBooks and eBooks donated by authors and publishers in exchange for an honest review, which I always try to give. When bidding or requesting a copy, the audience for which it is intended is not always obvious. I was embarrassed one time in criticizing a YA novel for the simplicity of the writing and short sentence structure, only later being advised that the book was intended for a younger reader. Nothing in the publisher's description made that clear. Fortunately, I was able to backtrack and revise my rating and review. Henceforth, I avoid moving into certain genres with which I have no background or experience.

[OtterBooks]

Bad, clueless reviews for good books makes me sad for humanity.

[CWatkinsNash]

I also enjoy some of the more interesting bad reviews. I once came across a one-star review that I initially looked at because it was the only low rating on a book that had received over 100 4- and 5-star reviews. As I read it, I noticed that the reviewer kept referring to the author in a very familiar manner and got the feeling that they knew each other. It was very detailed and rather scathing. Almost brutal. The author responded, but only to basically say, "Thanks for your extremely detailed thoughts. I'll keep them in mind as I write the next book." The reviewer responded with, "Well, I told you when you sent me the book that I wasn't going to be nice just because I'm your mother." I really wish I could remember the name of the book, because I'd love to see if that exchange continued.

I rate all the books I read on Goodreads, but I no longer write reviews for indie books if I rate them less than four stars. Two experiences of being confronted by disgruntled authors over three-star reviews soured me on that. Ironically, both had given their books away in exchange for "honest reviews" on a site I used to frequent. I'm fine with a PM or email asking for more info on the issues I felt the book had, or to ask for suggestions (one author did that and it was a wonderful exchange) but to call me out publicly to dispute my review in a confrontational manner was a bit much. On the other hand, maybe I should feel flattered that my opinion carried enough weight to warrant a response.

[mldavis2]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

I rate all the books I read on Goodreads, but I no longer write reviews for indie books if I rate them less than four stars. Two experiences of being confronted by disgruntled authors over three-star reviews soured me on that. Ironically, both had given their books away in exchange for "honest reviews" on a site I used to frequent. I'm fine with a PM or email asking for more info on the issues I felt the book had, or to ask for suggestions (one author did that and it was a wonderful exchange) but to call me out publicly to dispute my review in a confrontational manner was a bit much. On the other hand, maybe I should feel flattered that my opinion carried enough weight to warrant a response.

My view on that is a bit different. I'm a relatively "new" member of GR and LT and have only been reading vociferously since my retirement 2 years ago. Consequently my review history is not as large as many other readers on those sites. So I'll make some mis-calls on some books, and my background in classic literature is weak so I find it difficult to evaluate a storyline from the standpoint of originality sometimes. But I'm certainly not afraid to tell an indie author what I didn't like about a book. As a rookie, I can be excused for errors, and as I accumulate a history (currently around 150 books), I feel more secure in what I write.

But I'm never afraid of an author attempting to take me to task over a bad review, and certainly not a 3-star. A 3-star on GR, if the mouse-over text is correct, means "I liked it." A 4-star is "I really liked it." The problem is that some tend to see a 5-scale as we did in school: A-B-C-D-F with "C" being "average." I'm rather thick-skinned and I'm also old enough to have seen my share of outspoken flamers online on other forums. Disagreement engenders debate and if an author has no defense other than a loud disagreement with a review, then (s)he will show true colors in a public forum to his/her own detriment. If I'm wrong, I'll step up to the plate and apologize. We learn only by listening, not by talking. I would hope authors, especially indie authors desperately trying to make a small profit on their work, would be receptive to why someone, anyone, wouldn't like their novel.

I've had several good responses talking to authors offline or in private messages. They've always thanked me for my views and usually explain why they initially disagreed with or questioned my review. Indie authors need constructive criticism in order to improve, and how better to receive it than from an avid reader of their genre. Withholding low-star ratings can be counter-productive and inflationary by leaving higher ratings without a counterbalance. Just my thoughts ...

[CWatkinsNash]

@mldavis2 - Excellent points, all of it. (I didn't quote because I would have quoted the entire thing and since I'm the next post... ) I think in both cases I mentioned, I would have been less bothered had my reviews been negative, but neither review was. In both cases I made sure to point out what I liked about the books and, as you stated, 3 stars is not (supposed to be) a "bad" rating. Plus, Goodreads had managed to be the one remaining drama-free corner of my online world, and I guess I wanted to preserve that as much as possible. So I think it's more a matter of where I chose to place my own personal boundaries rather than a matter of what is or isn't appropriate.

I mean, after all, this is the internet. Anything we put out there can (and often will) be responded to. But I think the concept of authors responding to the Average Joe's review is a pretty new thing. That used to be the domain of high-profile authors who tangled in endless grudges with famous literary critics. I think a lot of authors and reviewers (such as myself) haven't yet figured out the best way to handle that and be comfortable with it.

The flipside of that is we've ended up with authors like Konrath, who makes his fans a priority and shows it. Then there's Kevin Hearne, one of my favorite new authors, who friended me on Goodreads and also positively interacts with his fans. So I think it's a net positive that the "wall" between authors and readers is coming down in some areas. It's just so new.

[mldavis2]

@CWatkinsNash > Yes, it is new. I have been know to disagree with professional critics. Consider that those of us who are not professionals are the ones who actually pay for the books. Critics obtain them free or are reimbursed by their publishers. Recently a few of us have been able to volunteer our time to read new offerings in exchange for our opinions. I've been pleasantly surprised at the overall quality of books I've received with few exceptions, though, as I said above, I do preselect my choices.

I would hope that MR continues to be a drama-free venue. I suspect that if an author were to accost me online in a public forum, unless (s)he had specific points and did it in an open manner, I would simply ignore him/her. Any feedback should go offline unless it would be of benefit to the forum as a whole. This is a well moderated forum comprised of mostly serious readers as are GR and LT, and I've seen few outright attacks which would be a clear violation of forum regulations in any case. And of course, we publish few reviews here anyway. My signature line says it all.

I continue to rely largely on reviews of amateurs like myself to choose my reading material. All reviews are valuable, both good and bad. I would hate to see an unworthy book float through the cracks because we are too kind to call a spade a spade. Good thread.