If you're reacting to this thread with "Why isn't my opinion as valuable as any so-called critic's?" you are -- how shall I put this? -- the problem. You see a statement that a profession you're not in has value, and your first thought is "I'm being insulted!" You're how we got here.
To a point, but the value of a book is the quality of the subject, and critics aren't experts in all subjects.
This is where I want to tell people that a book review isn’t just someone’s random opinion 👍🏼 or 👎🏼. It’s someone with knowledge of a topic putting a work in context. Everyone has an opinion, but not everyone can explain something in relation to other things like it and around it. Not 👍🏼, but WHY 👍🏼.
Are you a critic?
Typical... It's why my position as critic and columnist at a major newspaper was cut: no reader engagement. Despite my best efforts to get the community to respond. Love it or hate it, just engage!
Have no idea where that link came from.
When talking to people in my book club, most don't value art criticism. That it is an art form unto itself. Sometimes I just enjoy reading a book review even if I don't plan on reading the book. I dabble in GR "reviews" but it's just a fun hobby for me. I am inspired by what you all write!
Seriously - good writing is good writing. Too many people are insecure,and feel as if a critic's assessment of a work is contrary to their own, it's some sort of attack upon their taste, judgement, etc.
Yes that’s a phenomenon of the social age, for sure. I see that a lot in discussions of television. I find if you read the actual TV critique it’s less yay/nay on a show than what the fights on social media suggest. But people don’t want to read nuance.
The internet has unleashed such a destructive wave of anti-intellectualism. I don’t know if there’s any coming back from it. Unless there are some real lessons learnt post-fascism.
We've been conditioned for it. Rotten Tomatoes. Metacritic. Ratings on IMDB. Even Letterboxd, which I like as a film diary. Any reason not to read a review and people will take it.
TBF there are lots of reasons people read reviews and sometimes the user ones are worthwhile. But we need a balance of both kinds of writing… and it has gotten badly skewed. Meanwhile the benefits of online communities are also diminishing, as corporations control most spaces so rigidly now.
All true. I think I'm more annoyed by critic aggregation (Rotten tomatoes) than I am about user reviews, but it's those users who complain loudest about gatekeeping
As a writer, I totally agree.
Your posts are so precisely crafted that exclamation points are unnecessary. Consequently your words resonate more than any 1,000 "mike drop" or "boom" emojis.
I'm surprised by the this reaction. Haven't we all interacted with yelp/amazon/goodreads to understand that the reviews of the general public are pretty worthless? Can't wait to read a review of a the latest non-fiction book to find out it's 1 starred b/c the delivery driver didn't smile.
I don't think they're worthless. I am certainly interested in what my friends think. I refer to GR reviewers (and I include myself) as "the peasants". Maybe I am wrong to do that but after reading a professional review, I wonder hey what do the peasants think. It's a conversation IMO.
I don't disagree. But doesn’t "readers don’t engage with [book reviews] enough” mean not enough reader comment or reactions relative to other published items?
Professional reviews -- including your own -- have and continue to enrich my experience of art, books, music, film, theatres, TV, etc. I value an informed critique; a thoughtful discussion; an assessment from a perspective and a lived experience different than my own. It is an art form itself.
🔥🔥🔥
Rottentomatoes represents a slew of problems, but it’s not a coincidence that I’m even more encouraged to see a highly-rated (by critics) movie on that site when it also has a low “audience rating.”
It sounds like those with different opinions from any professional critic’s haven’t been “engaging” enough online?
💯💯💯💯
As a veteran film critic I am not issuing edicts. Anyone who has seen a film is entitled to their own opinion. My aim is to provide sufficient information so even if you disagree with me you know whether you want to see the movie or not.