“Am I crazy? The critics raved about this book, but I hated it.” I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard a comment like that.
Are we sometimes gaslit by reviews? Why does it happen? How can you avoid getting burned by book, movie, or TV reviews?
Let me reassure you: You’re not crazy. We all have unique tastes, preferences, and life experiences, and yours may simply differ from those of the reviewers you’ve read.
But critics do sometimes overpraise books for reasons that have nothing to do with dishonesty or trying to gaslight you. I explain what they are at @Medium and offer five ways to avoid getting burned by the reviews when you’re trying to decide what to read or see. My tips include a list of weasel words that may tell you that a critic is pulling punches.
One-Minute Book Reviews 
That’s one reason I like Goodreads. There is a diversity of opinion that helps me better understand why I might agree with the professional reviewers.
Comment by Pam Webb — October 23, 2023 @ 9:08 am |
Thanks, Pam. It does give you that diversity. One problem, as I note in the longer piece on Medium, is that Goodreads has mobs that can gang up on a book, often without having read it, which can distort the original purpose of the site: to promote the kind of lively conversation that can help you find books you’d like.
Comment by 1minutebookreviewswordpresscom — October 26, 2023 @ 1:48 pm |
I recently read about that problem. It’s hoped Goodreads will look into that.
Comment by Pam Webb — October 26, 2023 @ 3:01 pm