Is it ever okay to condemn a book without even attempting to read it?

[darryl]

http://www.vulture.com/2017/08/the-t...a-twitter.html

I originally came across this link on a well known blog. It makes disturbing reading. Not only were negative reviews posted by people who openly acknowledged they had not read the book, but some commenting on the article were prepared to pronounce the original criticisms valid without reading the book, placing reliance on "trusted" sources on Twitter. Personally I doubt these trusted sources had themselves read the book.

Am I alone in being absolutely appalled by this?

[gbm]

Originally Posted by darryl

http://www.vulture.com/2017/08/the-t...a-twitter.html

I originally came across this link on a well known blog. It makes disturbing reading. Not only were negative reviews posted by people who openly acknowledged they had not read the book, but some commenting on the article were prepared to pronounce the original criticisms valid without reading the book, placing reliance on "trusted" sources on Twitter. Personally I doubt these trusted sources had themselves read the book.

Am I alone in being absolutely appalled by this?

No you are not.

My position is you do not like the book then leave a review--if only you have read or tried to read it. Their are a number of authors that I do not care for but I will never go out and campaign to have their books and lively hood taken from them.

People need to remember that "One man's trash is another man's treasure".

bernie

[GlenBarrington]

Originally Posted by darryl

http://www.vulture.com/2017/08/the-t...a-twitter.html

I originally came across this link on a well known blog. It makes disturbing reading. Not only were negative reviews posted by people who openly acknowledged they had not read the book, but some commenting on the article were prepared to pronounce the original criticisms valid without reading the book, placing reliance on "trusted" sources on Twitter. Personally I doubt these trusted sources had themselves read the book.

Am I alone in being absolutely appalled by this?

It is to be expected in a world of "Safe Spaces", "groupthink", the seemingly common belief that everyone is the center of their own universe and that difficult ideas should be purged from existence. No one likes all that 'thinky' stuff.

I am appalled, but I am not surprised.

[HarryT]

Is it any different to people giving a book they've never read a five-star review? Goodness knows that happens often enough!

Personally I think it's dishonest to "review" any book you've not read, but regrettably it's a common practice.

[tubemonkey]

Yes, I condemn all romance novels. Romance is not a legitimate genre.

[darryl]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Is it any different to people giving a book they've never read a five-star review? Goodness knows that happens often enough!

Personally I think it's dishonest to "review" any book you've not read, but regrettably it's a common practice.

There probably isn't a lot of difference in principle. Fake 5 star reviews are generally motivated by good old fashioned greed, the reverse by malice or in this case a self-righteous desire to censor what you regard to be repulsive. The original reviewer had every right to post her views. However, her next step was apparently to post on Twitter, sparking the hysterical campaign the subject of the article. Unfortunately her actual tweet, linked to in the article, is no longer available via that link.

[MikeB1972]

Seems to be the way online nowadays, if someone thinks they have been offended (Rightly, or wrongly) the lynch mob descends.

Especially if it's do do with diversity in any way, accusations of racism are always be taken as proof by the perpetually offended, regardless of any facts.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by darryl

There probably isn't a lot of difference in principle. Fake 5 star reviews are generally motivated by good old fashioned greed

I wasn't thinking of fake reviews by the author, but of the situation where "fans" of an author will give a book 5-star reviews as soon as it appears on Amazon (or whatever site we're talking about), even before it's released, on the grounds of "any book X writes is going to be great!".

[Bilbo1967]

It's nothing new. Not books, but remember the furore surrounding Monty Python's Life of Brian?

Thousands of people criticised the film and even demonstrated against it, many of them proudly announced that they hadn't watched the film and never would do.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

It's nothing new. Not books, but remember the furore surrounding Monty Python's Life of Brian?

Thousands of people criticised the film and even demonstrated against it, many of them proudly announced that they hadn't watched the film and never would do.

And sticking to books, there were protests about the Harry Potter books promoting "witchcraft", and therefore being contrary to the teachings of the Bible. Many religious schools refused (and still refuse) to have the books in their school library because of that.

[darryl]

If is of course nothing new. Unfortunately it seems to have taken a rather extreme form on Twitter. Even some otherwise sensible people jump on the bandwagon. I actually felt a little sorry for the Teen blogger referred to in the article who was looking forward to the book but then chose not to read it, instead simply accepting the original review. An extreme case of peer pressure. Unfortunately it is confined to neither Twitter nor to Teens.

[darryl]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Yes, I condemn all romance novels. Romance is not a legitimate genre.

You're a braver man than I, even with the Big Grins!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by gbm

No you are not.

My position is you do not like the book then leave a review--if only you have read or tried to read it. Their are a number of authors that I do not care for but I will never go out and campaign to have their books and lively hood taken from them.

People need to remember that "One man's trash is another man's treasure".

bernie

Remember when there was the outcry for the book sold on Amazon about pedophilia? That was a book most people had not read and would not read but the subject was one they could get behind and complain to amazon for selling the book.

So yes, you can give a thumbs down to a book without having read it depending on the subject matter without having read it first.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Yes, I condemn all romance novels. Romance is not a legitimate genre.

It's also not realistic. You do not get men running around with no shirts looking for women to fall for them.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Yes, I condemn all romance novels. Romance is not a legitimate genre.

:::smacks Monkey with pool noodle::::
It is the only genre in my book.

Sent from my XT1528