Comments on: The "Right" Opinion http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/ Behind the Book Reviews--The Official Blog of Booklist Online Sat, 22 Nov 2008 07:41:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Book Blog - Likely Stories, by Keir Graff - Booklist Online » Blog Archive » Unbound Galleys Revisited http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-120546 Book Blog - Likely Stories, by Keir Graff - Booklist Online » Blog Archive » Unbound Galleys Revisited Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:45:16 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-120546 [...] The book I’m reading so precariously, by the way, is The Last Match by David Dodge. It’s published by Hard Case Crime, and unbound galleys or no, I always look forward to what they send. Aside from one title that I had mixed feelings about, I’ve liked-often loved-all the Hard Case Crime books I’ve reviewed. I’ve even read some that weren’t assigned, just for fun. Publisher Charles Ardai has shown a remarkable eye for both great reprints and great new books that read like the old ones. [...] […] The book I’m reading so precariously, by the way, is The Last Match by David Dodge. It’s published by Hard Case Crime, and unbound galleys or no, I always look forward to what they send. Aside from one title that I had mixed feelings about, I’ve liked-often loved-all the Hard Case Crime books I’ve reviewed. I’ve even read some that weren’t assigned, just for fun. Publisher Charles Ardai has shown a remarkable eye for both great reprints and great new books that read like the old ones. […]

]]> By: Likely Stories » Blog Archive » Antiqued Prose http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-259 Likely Stories » Blog Archive » Antiqued Prose Mon, 11 Sep 2006 02:00:10 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-259 [...] In a weird way, I didn’t mind putting it off, because I was thinking I’d really like it, and it’s always nice to have something to look forward to. As I’ve written before, I try to avoid reading anything about the book except the book, but a glance at the cover and the first few pages led me to hope that this would be something right up my alley. [...] […] In a weird way, I didn’t mind putting it off, because I was thinking I’d really like it, and it’s always nice to have something to look forward to. As I’ve written before, I try to avoid reading anything about the book except the book, but a glance at the cover and the first few pages led me to hope that this would be something right up my alley. […]

]]> By: Likely Stories » Blog Archive » Damnation Street http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-227 Likely Stories » Blog Archive » Damnation Street Tue, 22 Aug 2006 20:40:02 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-227 [...] Recently I’ve written about not loving a book everyone else seems to love, a mostly good anthology with a few clanks, and deciding not to star a review by a favorite author. I sound like a lot of fun, don’t I? [...] […] Recently I’ve written about not loving a book everyone else seems to love, a mostly good anthology with a few clanks, and deciding not to star a review by a favorite author. I sound like a lot of fun, don’t I? […]

]]> By: Likely Stories » Blog Archive » Damnation Street http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-206 Likely Stories » Blog Archive » Damnation Street Fri, 18 Aug 2006 18:29:56 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-206 [...] « The "Right" Opinion 175 Words » [...] […] « The "Right" Opinion 175 Words » […]

]]> By: Likely Stories » Blog Archive » The Power of Pride http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-198 Likely Stories » Blog Archive » The Power of Pride Fri, 18 Aug 2006 18:00:24 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-198 [...] There’s insecurity (do I seem smart enough? do I have the right opinion)? and its cousin, pride (my opinion is important!). Honestly, thinking about it too much is enough to make a book reviewer afraid to review books. [...] […] There’s insecurity (do I seem smart enough? do I have the right opinion)? and its cousin, pride (my opinion is important!). Honestly, thinking about it too much is enough to make a book reviewer afraid to review books. […]

]]> By: Likely Stories » Blog Archive » Unbound Galleys Revisited http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-186 Likely Stories » Blog Archive » Unbound Galleys Revisited Fri, 18 Aug 2006 17:40:17 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-186 [...] The book I’m reading so precariously, by the way, is The Last Match by David Dodge. It’s published by Hard Case Crime, and unbound galleys or no, I always look forward to what they send. Aside from one title that I had mixed feelings about, I’ve liked-often loved-all the Hard Case Crime books I’ve reviewed. I’ve even read some that weren’t assigned, just for fun. Publisher Charles Ardai has shown a remarkable eye for both great reprints and great new books that read like the old ones. [...] […] The book I’m reading so precariously, by the way, is The Last Match by David Dodge. It’s published by Hard Case Crime, and unbound galleys or no, I always look forward to what they send. Aside from one title that I had mixed feelings about, I’ve liked-often loved-all the Hard Case Crime books I’ve reviewed. I’ve even read some that weren’t assigned, just for fun. Publisher Charles Ardai has shown a remarkable eye for both great reprints and great new books that read like the old ones. […]

]]> By: Charles Ardai http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-134 Charles Ardai Sat, 12 Aug 2006 00:00:00 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-134 Obviously, no book is so perfect that everyone loves it; there are always some dissenters, and that's probably for the best. <br /><br />In the case of BUST, we haven't gotten a single negative review yet (not even yours: you wrote "Crosses and double-crosses, miscalculations and blunders, and plenty of dead bodies...For those who like the bungling-criminal genre, this is good fun"; that may not be a rave, but it's hardly what I'd call a negative review). But we've had other books - even ones that have been nominated for or won major awards - that have gotten a dozen extremely positive reviews and one viciously negative one. Obviously those books weren't bad books in an absolute sense, they just pushed some individual reviewers' buttons in the wrong way, producing these idiosyncratic "outlier" reviews.<br /><br />But are the outlier reviews "wrong"? Not if they accurately reflect those readers' feelings about the book. If a reviewer consistently expresses opinions with which readers disagree, those readers are free to stop reading the reviewer (or at least to disregard his recommendations); but that doesn't mean the opinions are wrong or shouldn't be expressed.<br /><br />As a publisher, would I rather not have those negative reviews? No. I want to see the full range of opinions on everything we do, honestly and persuasively presented. That's a reviewer's job. <br /><br />That said, when we are fortunate enough to receive almost unanimous raves for a book we publish, it's our job as a publisher to let readers know about it - specifically, to let readers know that a fairly diverse set of critics (who, given the realities of lead time, may themselves not have been influenced by reading each other's reviews any more than you were) all enjoyed a new book of ours quite a lot, and that therefore it's at least statistically likely that readers will enjoy it as well. (When even your most negative review calls your book "good fun," you're probably doing something right.)<br /><br />-Charles Obviously, no book is so perfect that everyone loves it; there are always some dissenters, and that’s probably for the best.

In the case of BUST, we haven’t gotten a single negative review yet (not even yours: you wrote “Crosses and double-crosses, miscalculations and blunders, and plenty of dead bodies…For those who like the bungling-criminal genre, this is good fun”; that may not be a rave, but it’s hardly what I’d call a negative review). But we’ve had other books - even ones that have been nominated for or won major awards - that have gotten a dozen extremely positive reviews and one viciously negative one. Obviously those books weren’t bad books in an absolute sense, they just pushed some individual reviewers’ buttons in the wrong way, producing these idiosyncratic “outlier” reviews.

But are the outlier reviews “wrong”? Not if they accurately reflect those readers’ feelings about the book. If a reviewer consistently expresses opinions with which readers disagree, those readers are free to stop reading the reviewer (or at least to disregard his recommendations); but that doesn’t mean the opinions are wrong or shouldn’t be expressed.

As a publisher, would I rather not have those negative reviews? No. I want to see the full range of opinions on everything we do, honestly and persuasively presented. That’s a reviewer’s job.

That said, when we are fortunate enough to receive almost unanimous raves for a book we publish, it’s our job as a publisher to let readers know about it - specifically, to let readers know that a fairly diverse set of critics (who, given the realities of lead time, may themselves not have been influenced by reading each other’s reviews any more than you were) all enjoyed a new book of ours quite a lot, and that therefore it’s at least statistically likely that readers will enjoy it as well. (When even your most negative review calls your book “good fun,” you’re probably doing something right.)

-Charles

]]> By: Keir http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-135 Keir Sat, 12 Aug 2006 00:00:00 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-135 Thanks for the comment, Charles. I'm sure I could have picked a better example to discuss the "outlier" phenomenon - you're right that my review of <em>Bust</em> wasn't all negative - but when your newsletter arrived, the raves made my praise feel pretty pale, and thus a blog topic was born.<br /><br />You raise a good point about readers' relationships with reviewers: I think we all have reviewers whom we like or trust more than others, and their honesty and consistency make it easier for us to choose them.<br /><br />Most of my reviews of Hard Case Crime books have been extremely positive, so I do think you're doing a lot right - though I'll always reserve the right to offer a different opinion! Thanks for the comment, Charles. I’m sure I could have picked a better example to discuss the “outlier” phenomenon - you’re right that my review of Bust wasn’t all negative - but when your newsletter arrived, the raves made my praise feel pretty pale, and thus a blog topic was born.

You raise a good point about readers’ relationships with reviewers: I think we all have reviewers whom we like or trust more than others, and their honesty and consistency make it easier for us to choose them.

Most of my reviews of Hard Case Crime books have been extremely positive, so I do think you’re doing a lot right - though I’ll always reserve the right to offer a different opinion!

]]> By: Frank Sennett http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-136 Frank Sennett Sat, 12 Aug 2006 00:00:00 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-136 The only thing I'd add to Keir's discussion of "The Da Vinci Code" review was that, when the book became such a phenomenon, I was especially glad I worked hard to make that a well-written review. You'd hate to have the review of such a prominent book turn out to be the one you dashed off while recovering from a nasty head cold and running late for a root canal... The only thing I’d add to Keir’s discussion of “The Da Vinci Code” review was that, when the book became such a phenomenon, I was especially glad I worked hard to make that a well-written review. You’d hate to have the review of such a prominent book turn out to be the one you dashed off while recovering from a nasty head cold and running late for a root canal…

]]> By: Bill Ott http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-137 Bill Ott Sat, 12 Aug 2006 00:00:00 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2006/05/09/the-right-opinion/#comment-137 About Frank Sennett's Da Vinci Code review, not only was it perceptive and well-written, but I'm beginning to think it captures what a lot of readers feel about the book. At recent conferences demonstrating Booklist Online, I often did a search for Da Vinci Code and, when Frank's review came up, made a joke about Booklist being one of the few journals that didn't rave about the book. Everytime I said that, the librarian I was talking to replied that she didn't think it was as good as its hype either. About Frank Sennett’s Da Vinci Code review, not only was it perceptive and well-written, but I’m beginning to think it captures what a lot of readers feel about the book. At recent conferences demonstrating Booklist Online, I often did a search for Da Vinci Code and, when Frank’s review came up, made a joke about Booklist being one of the few journals that didn’t rave about the book. Everytime I said that, the librarian I was talking to replied that she didn’t think it was as good as its hype either.

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