Comments on: When Are Critics Going to Stop Congratulating Novelists for Being Good-Looking or Having Other Traits Unrelated to Their Books? This Week’s Gusher

By: Matt’s Bookosphere 7/25/08 « Enter the Octopus

Matt’s Bookosphere 7/25/08 « Enter the Octopus — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:23:27 +0000

[...] “When are critics going to stop congratulating novelists for being good-looking or having othe… [...]

By: 1minutebookreviewswordpresscom

1minutebookreviewswordpresscom — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 03:08:54 +0000

They did take the reviewers to task. And yet, we keep seeing the same kinds of comments about the work of other authors. I read similar comment in a review in major newspaper just a few weeks ago that I may quote on another Friday.

By: knightofswords

knightofswords — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 02:31:45 +0000

Fortunately, a lot of people took those reviewers to task at the time, especially those who implied that her looks got the book published.

Malcolm

By: 1minutebookreviewswordpresscom

1minutebookreviewswordpresscom — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:18:46 +0000

Em: “I personally see no end to the trend …” I wish I didn’t agree with you, but I do agree. This trend has been around for a long time, so long that the problem may not even register with with editors. And that may explain why they don’t kill the comments — unless GG’s right that they’re all watching reality TV.

Thanks for your comment and kind words about the hair (but should see what happens to it in heat waves like the ones we’ve had this summer).
Jan

By: leftywritey

leftywritey — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:01:31 +0000

It continues to be very scary that judgements about a person are based on a person’s looks. I personally see no end to this trend, ever.

Very interesting article. The best thing about being a writer is that, usually, it’s what’s INSIDE that counts. Beauty fades pretty quickly with age, but the mind lasts much longer.

I do have to say, though, that your hair looks wonderful in your photo above. : )

By: ggelliott

ggelliott — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:58:51 +0000

Perhaps the editors are all off watching ‘reality’ T.V.?

By: 1minutebookreviewswordpresscom

1minutebookreviewswordpresscom — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:53:28 +0000

You also have to ask: Where was the editor here? I can’t tell you how many times I said to reviewers, when I was a book editor, “Please review the book, not the author’s hairstyle or dust-jacket photo.”

There’s a legitimate place for comments on such extraneous matters: feature stories such as author profiles. But with review space so scarce in newspapers, it’s painful to see so many critics using it to tell us things that belong in other sections of a publication and editors letting them get away with it.

By: ggelliott

ggelliott — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:53:14 +0000

I wonder if the critics who write such drivel ever contemplate the potential for reactions like the one I always have?

When I start reading a piece that begins similarly to the one you quote here, I stop reading, because–for me–the rest is automatically disregarded due having lost all respect for the views of the critic.

“…a teaser for an episode of The Bachelorette?” – perfect!