Where will the reviews go?
I was reading author Gail Gauthier’s blog today and she was writing about an article she had read concerning reviews in general-something we’ve all noticed- that they are on their way out at newspapers.
Gauthier makes a point that I wholeheartedly agree with. She says
Traditional book critics provided an education for their readers, too. Sure you always had your elitist folks who seemed mainly interested in showing off what they thought they knew to the lesser mortals who read their work. But you also had people who truly shared what they knew. You really could learn something from reading book reviews.
Reviewing well is quite a talent, and a good reviewer generally knows a bit about the landscape in the general area that they review. They have a lot to contribute to making the book, or movie, or play more interesting and compelling. This is what I experience, at least, when I read a good review. It is also one of the primary features that I look for daily in the Wall Street Journal (what? that Business rag? Yup-they have great reviews of books (an army of reviewers), movies (Morgenstern rocks the cinema!) and theater (Teachout, whose appreciation of good theater and acting everywhere it’s found has made me appreciate local theater even more!)), as well as many other newspapers that I can find online.
If these types of reviews disappear, where will we ardent, hungry fans go? Most book and arts blogs don’t really attain this crucial aspect of the review. Certainly my reviews here don’t. I just write about something that I like, point out why I like it, and say if I think you might like it. I really don’t have time for that heavy lifting that goes into making a great review, nor do I have that temperament. Thank God for the ones that do!
Related posts:
