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Discussion Post: What is Your Relationship with Negative Reviews?

Being late to a lot of things, I’ve only recently read a 2013 New York Times post called “Whither the Hatchet Job?” (Link to the archived version, since you might run into a paywall). If you don’t intend to read the entire article, here are the last two paragraphs, which I think do a decent job of summarising why negative reviews might not be all that bad:

But among young writers, there seems a shortage of critics unhampered by excessive good manners. Why this should be so is a bit of a mystery. It could be that the typical established publication has become too impressed with its own self-imposed status as a journal of record, which must confine itself to the facts; and that a complex, nuanced statement sounds not enough like a fact, and hence must be confined to the blogs, where nobody has any manners anyway.

When I read the brilliant young Alice Gregory, in Slate, struggling to express how she simultaneously approves and disapproves of the journalism of Janet Malcolm, I want to lean through her study window (Alice Gregory’s, not Janet Malcolm’s) and explain that the whole secret of literary journalism is to express both sides of a question at once, and that only in America could that imperative seem abnormal. Alice, you can’t eliminate the negative. It accentuates the positive.

I found this post to be really interesting and while I’m not about to start reading books I dislike just for the sake of a negative review, this post has gotten me thinking about whether I’ve been overly cautious when writing reviews. But mostly, I’m very curious about how/if everyone else’s relationship with critical/negative reviews has changed. Here are my questions:

Do you write negative reviews?

A: I wrote a fairly critical (for me) review of tea recently, but overall, I don’t think I’m writing as many negative reviews as I used to! And I do think that’s a good thing overall because I read for pleasure/drink tea for fun and this means I’m picking books/teas that I like.

Have you written more or less critical reviews as time goes by?

A: I have definitely written fewer reviews that are mainly negative now that I’ve started to DNF books. I may have critical elements in my reviews, particularly for books that I consider about 3 stars, but it’s very rare for me to pan a book. When it comes to tea, I generally like the teas I buy (with one recent exception), and I can generally find something positive to say about it.

Do you get offended when someone writes a negative/critical review of a book you love?

A: Definitely not. It can be a bit sad when someone doesn’t love a book the same way that I do, but I do realise that people have different tastes. I do, however, take note when a book blogger and I have repeatedly diverging tastes. I may still enjoy reading their blog, but I probably wouldn’t pick up a book from their review alone.

And these are my answers! What about you? What is your relationship with negative reviews?

21 thoughts on “Discussion Post: What is Your Relationship with Negative Reviews?

  1. This is a very interesting topic that I’ve recently been thinking about a lot too.

    I don’t like writing negative reviews and if a book really doesn’t work for me, I simply won’t review it. When there’s something I don’t like about a book, I do like to point out why, as objectively as possible. Because when a potential reader sees my review for example, they can make up their own mind to see if the thing that I didn’t like about the book, would be something they wouldn’t like either. It’s like you say, people have different tastes. And that’s a good thing. Because books deserve to be read. And honest reviews are one of the best ways for books to find their right audience.

    At the end of the day, you read and review books because you like it and are passionate about it. As long as you’re respectful and speak from the heart, a “bad” review is just an honest review. Anyways, that’s just my two cents.

    1. Thank you for commenting, Thibault!

      Yeah… I’m not a fan of writing negative reviews too, although as a reader, I know that not all negative reviews are the same (it’s honestly more of the content of the review that makes or breaks it – if they mention certain tropes I like, for instance).

      I agree that as long as you’re respectful about it, a bad review is just an honest one!

  2. This is a very interesting topic that I’ve recently been thinking about a lot too.

    I don’t like writing negative reviews and if a book really doesn’t work for me, I simply won’t review it. When there’s something I don’t like about a book, I do like to point out why, as objectively as possible. Because when a potential reader sees my review for example, they can make up their own mind to see if the thing that I didn’t like about the book, would be something they wouldn’t like either. It’s like you say, people have different tastes. And that’s a good thing. Because books deserve to be read. And honest reviews are one of the best ways for books to find their right audience.

    At the end of the day, you read and review books because you like it and are passionate about it. As long as you’re respectful and speak from the heart, a negative review is just an honest review. Anyways, that’s just my two cents.

  3. Good questions! I am not reluctant to write negative reviews and have done so with relish. In fact, I am about to write a very negative review of Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises,” which I consider a waste of time even though the establishment says it is a literary masterpiece! Everyone has an opinion and also their own tastes. What’s chocolate cake to one may be boiled cabbage to another! So, negative reviews give us a different perspective that is sometimes needed.

    1. Will your review be on Goodreads? I’ve not read Hemingway and like you’ve mentioned, it would be interesting to see a different perspective!

      It’s definitely true that everyone has their own tastes and I think one thing reviews (positive and negative) can do is to help readers determine if the book fits them!

      1. Hi Eustacia—I wrote a brief review last night on Goodreads. Hemingway’s book is dated and not a realistic portrayal of the disillusioned post-war generation but only a chapter in the lives of a fictitious and, apparently, privileged/semi-privileged few. The vast majority of people led very different lives. They didn’t talk like that, nor did they act or behave like that. I found it rather empty. Another reviewer on Goodreads summed it up this way: it’s a story about nothing.

        This book was a dud, but I’ve enjoyed Hemingway’s other novels. I think I’ve reviewed a couple on Goodreads.

        1. I see! That raises an additional question for me – could (should?) some books fall out of “classics” status if they are no longer relevant? I’ll have to think about this…

          1. I guess that depends on how we define “relevant.” My personal belief is that the classics do have relevance. We read them to appreciate people, culture, civilization and its development, writing style, vocabulary and, of course, we read them for fun. Not all measure up, however. Some classics are just not as “classic” and the canon is overripe with Eurocentric writers that makes it less relevant for a significant portion of the world. Nevertheless, delving into classic literature can occasionally turn up some gems. One of my favorite poems goes way back to 240 BCE written by Callimachus entitled “Heraclitus” and regards his death and an ode from a friend fondly reminiscing (it’s the William Cory translation I like so much). I suppose that’s reaching into the “classics” to find something that is relevant even 2,000 years later!

  4. Great questions there. I do write negative reviews because my plan is to review everything I read and I don’t like everything I read. I think my reviews have become more critical over time, whether or not I like a book, because I’ve become better and pinpointing and explaining what doesn’t work for me (sometimes). These days I try not to be mean in my reviews, not that I was before, but I try a little harder not to be. However, I write my reviews for other folks like me, readers and potential readers, so reviews aren’t intended for authors. My intention is to form a conversation with others who have read, are reading, or may want to read the work.
    Only a few times have I ever gotten offended when I read a negative/critical review of a book I love. But that’s because I really love the book and I always laugh at myself for feeling that way because I think it’s silly.

    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Zeezee! I think it’s great you made the point about being critical – I didn’t think about that. A review that goes into why they didn’t like it is a lot more helpful than a review that doesn’t elaborate because that makes it easier for me as the reader. I also like the point about reviews not being for authors!

  5. This is a great discussion, Eustacia! I have been thinking about this a lot recently because I had some negative critic (along with positives!) of a book. I am not reluctant to write a negative critic since reviews are subjective observations anyway, but I do take great pains to be as polite as possible and not unnecessarily brutal. I’m still getting used to the art of critiquing both what I like and DON’T like in a book, so I’m still on a bit of a learning curve.

    1. I think when I started our reviewing, I was a lot more brutal (I think others pointed it out) but now, I am a lot more polite! I think it’s also because I recognise how much work a book requires so I try to at least be respectful of that.

  6. I’m similar to you in that I’ve really been honing my reading tastes lately so I read very few books that warrant negative reviews! (fingers crossed haha) and whilst it is a little sad when someone hates a book that I love, it would be boring if we all liked the same things!!

    1. That’s true! There’s no wrong way to read – and I think if we’re reading for fun, then it makes sense we’re all gonna be reading and enjoying different books!

  7. I think every review is valid because literature is just super subjective. I’ve read negative reviews of books I loved as well as positive reviews of books I disliked. As you say, people just have different tastes. But I think what’s important is that negative reviews should still be constructive. Don’t just say I “hate xy” but say what precisely it is you don’t like. I don’t often review books I didn’t like (if so, I do it only on my Instagram), but when I do I make sure to specify what it was I didn’t like.

    1. I agree that negative reviews can and should be constructive! As a reader, the content of the review is important – if a book had a bad rating/review because the reviewer didn’t like certain tropes, that may not stop me from picking it up if I like those tropes. On the other hand, things like grammar errors will be hard to ignore.

      So, a detailed negative review isn’t a make-or-break issue for me!

      I think it’s interesting how you keep the negative reviews to Instagram – do you find it a better place to put reviews in general, or is there another reason why you chose Instagram?

      1. Well, there’s a lot of work that goes into a blogpost and I don’t want to spend too much energy on negative reviews. I tend to focus on novels I truly enjoyed and would recommend because after all, I think that’s much more helpful for readers.

  8. I do not mind negative reviews, and in fact find them quite insightful at times. They don’t always deter me from reading a book either–and sometimes even only interest me more. Personally though, I find negative reviews hard to write and I sometimes do find myself weighing out how to say something negative in a nice way. Since I read mostly for pleasure, I tend to choose books I will enjoy. It’s rare I read a book all the way through I am not enjoying to some degree. Of course, I use the term review loosely when describing the reviews I write. They are simply my thoughts on a book and are very subjective.

    1. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Same here – not all negative reviews will turn me off from a book (conversely, not all positive reviews make me want to read a book either!).

  9. Hmm. I am happy to write negative reviews, because part of the reading process for me is articulating what, if anything, bothered me about the book or movie. That doesn’t mean I have to publish them. Sometimes, in order to make them into something I would publish, it would take a lot more print inches of clarification, and it’s just not worth it to me, unless I feel that the books’ flaws are somehow important to point out (i.e. they are doing actual damage in the world). Sometimes, I would love to write a negative review, but I know it would be opening a huge can of worms and I’m just not ready to die on that particular hill, so I don’t review.

    I’m getting pretty good at avoiding books I know I will hate, so if I have serious criticisms, it’s usually going to be some variety of “this book did the bait and switch on me” or “I have mixed feelings about this book.”

    I haven’t yet received a negative review of any of my books, but … believe me … I have imagined a lot of them! I’m sure I would not enjoy reading them, because I tend to take things to heart, but I also think that getting a few negative reviews would be a good sign. At the very least, it would mean my books were being read by a wide enough circle of people other than just friends. And if there were a true hatchet job, that would mean my book had touched some kind of a nerve. I certainly don’t want all five-star reviews, because nobody believes the reviews when that happens.

    1. Ooooh that’s a good point about distinguishing between writing negative reviews and publishing them! I’ve always thought they were the same thing.

      I’ve gotten negative reviews (my first review was negative, actually!) and it definitely stung but because I’m also a reader, I can get where it’s coming from and not take it personally.

What do you think?