My love letter to books, & why I think reviews are problematic


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unsplash-logoDonatella D'Anniballe


I have this thing about reading reviews- I take them all with more than a few grains of salt.  I treat them like puzzles.  I read them, but I am always looking for the subtext. Because the books themselves are more important than the reviews of them.  Books are beautiful paper flowers of potential. However, poetic as that idea is, I know that the world is overflowing with books, and choosing which ones to read, or put on the shelves of your local library can feel like a Sisyphean task. 

This week we explored some reviews provided to us, and looked at the difference between review styles and publications.  This inevitably leads to the question of quality vs quantity in book reviews.  Does one stellar review outweigh a half dozen decent ones?  And what about those books that don’t receive reviews at all?  Does that make them bad- or less worthy of being read? 

My argument is- no, it does not.  Ranganathan’s Third Rule of Library Science says it all: Every book its reader (Rimland).  The reviews themselves do not determine the worth of the title.  Still, that doesn’t mean reviews are unimportant, or not useful.

I personally prefer editorial reviews: Kirkus, Library Journal, or The New York Times are my preferred sources.  I usually avoid review blogs and even Goodreads (and yes, I realize that I am writing this on a blog where we regularly review things- the irony is not lost on me).  However, I find that often, blog reviews become this rabbit hole where the writer takes small things about a book and twists them into large extrapolations that may or may not have anything to do with the title at all.  My friend Melissa Stacy, who is an independently published author and Goodreads reviewer regularly posts reviews that fit this description to her website, such as this review of Circe by Madeline Miller.  In this review, Melissa states, “This novel is actually the patriarchy presenting itself on Olympian-powered steroids,” (M. Stacy. 2019).  I can see her point, I can see how she intellectually reached this conclusion, but I think it does not do the book itself justice.  And honestly, this is why professional reviews still matter, because impartiality still matters.  For those of you concerned, she knows I respectfully disagree with some of her reviews- and yes, we are still friends!

As a future librarian, I know that reviews are going to be highly valuable to me for collections purposes, and I imagine that I will continue to utilize intellectual reviews, lists of highly anticipated titles, and buzzy books on Goodreads to find items for the collections where I work.  I will reach out and look for reviews to help me decide from the myriad of books out there in the world, but I will not refuse to carry a title because it doesn’t have a review, or because it doesn’t have a favorable review.  Negative reviews can be a rollicking good time all by themselves, and we all need a little humility and humor in our lives.  But to me, reviews are a professional means to an end.  I still want to make up my own mind.


References:

Rimland, E. (n.d.). Ranganathan’s Relevant Rules. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 46(4), 24–26. Retrieved from https://www.journals.ala.org/index.php/rusq/article/viewFile/4090/4658

Stacy, M. (2019, August 19). Book Review for Circe. Retrieved February 14, 2020, from https://melissastacy-thoughtcandy.com/circe/

Comments

  1. Rachel SiskaFebruary 15, 2020 at 9:34 PM

    I really enjoyed reading your viewpoint on this topic. You made some great points I had not thought about. I specifically like your reference to Ranganathan's Third Rule, Every book has its reader. Just because a title has a few bad reviews doesn't mean it is a bad book. There is usually someone out there who enjoyed it. Every person has their own unique tastes. The majority isn't everyone. Therefore we do need to be careful with reviews. Even the professional reviews sites can include some bias.

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  2. Erin CataldiFebruary 19, 2020 at 9:48 AM

    You bring up some great points! I love your line "This inevitably leads to the question of quality vs quantity in book reviews. Does one stellar review outweigh a half dozen decent ones? And what about those books that don’t receive reviews at all? Does that make them bad- or less worthy of being read? " SO TRUE. They can be useful to know what we're ordering, o finding books with a small budget but they are not the end all be all. I've seen some Patterson books get shredded and we won't NOT buy them because people still want them. Fantastic response!!! Full points!

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