The ethics of the book review
Here's what I'm thinking about today: what are your personal ethics regarding reviewing books?
It might be specific to being an author, but I have a very, very hard time giving a book fewer than five stars, even when I don't personally know its author.
For this reason--like a lot of authors on Goodreads--I've decided to only post my reviews of books I can legitimately give five stars to. The others....well, I'll never tell : )
I know this is kind of a cop-out, but what can I say....I'm letting myself off the hook here.
I do recognize that honest reviews on Goodreads are an essential part of how it functions, and I commend you for your honesty! Otherwise, how would your friends know what you really liked and didn't like?
My question to you: what are your ethics regarding reviewing books? Do you have any compunction about ripping a book completely, or do you kind of relish it? (You can be honest.) I will confess--some of the most entertaining reading I've done on Goodreads has consisted of total rants by Goodreads users about often beloved books...
It might be specific to being an author, but I have a very, very hard time giving a book fewer than five stars, even when I don't personally know its author.
For this reason--like a lot of authors on Goodreads--I've decided to only post my reviews of books I can legitimately give five stars to. The others....well, I'll never tell : )
I know this is kind of a cop-out, but what can I say....I'm letting myself off the hook here.
I do recognize that honest reviews on Goodreads are an essential part of how it functions, and I commend you for your honesty! Otherwise, how would your friends know what you really liked and didn't like?
My question to you: what are your ethics regarding reviewing books? Do you have any compunction about ripping a book completely, or do you kind of relish it? (You can be honest.) I will confess--some of the most entertaining reading I've done on Goodreads has consisted of total rants by Goodreads users about often beloved books...
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Sarah
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Feb 22, 2017 07:23AM
I feel the same way. I have a couple times given a low score, but at the same time I feel guilty! Especially if the author sees it. Because I know writing a book is difficult and I could never do it!
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I know it is a lot of work writing a book...and I understand your desire to not put people off of a book. I almost always find most of the books I read are worth 4 or 5 stars. But sometimes I feel historical fiction best-selling authors exagerrate les moeurs of the period by putting book-selling very explicit contemporary sex scenes that are un-characteristic of the period. It makes me «fall out of the story» as does the mention of little things (objects, expressions) that obviously didn't exist during that era. I don't hesitate to say so...and give a low score...and I don't feel guilty. Classics portray or reveal truth that characterizes the times...that's why they become classics!
I've noticed since being on goodreads that If I do a review, it's for a book I have given either 4 of 5 stars to. The lowest I have rated a book in the two years since being on here is 3 stars, and those books I just give a rating to. I'm usually kinda lazy to put a review up, but will for the better books I read as I feel I have to say something about it because of the way I felt when finishing it. I'm not harsh on books when I give a rating, but I do tend to be picky when getting books so I have a good chance I will like it more than not.
I give honest reviews based on what I thought of the writing, plot, and character development in fiction books. I do not give many 5-star reviews because here on Goodreads, a 5-star rating means a book was "amazing" and very few books amaze me. I do give a lot of 4-star reviews. If the book is well-written and the characters well-developed, then I am likely to give it 4 stars. Many books I just rate and do not review at all because I just didn't feel like taking the time to review it. Every year I have a few 3-star and even 2-star reviews, but not many because I do enough research before I read a book to determine if I think it is worth my time and therefore weed out many not so great books. I do not see the point of writing a review if the reviewer cannot be completely honest.
If I really like & feel strongly about a book from an author I know (from online and have met in person/consider a friend) or 'know' (from online and haven't met, like you) I will at least give it a few lines of praise, even though I never really know what to say, or if I feel strongly negatively about another book if it's well-known, even if I feel strongly "meh" about something that people tend to love. I don't know if any of this makes sense, i'm not fully awake and have no business trying to type anything sensible right now.
I try to find the good in each book I read, although sometimes it is very well hidden. Ultimately, I'm honest in my reviews. I feel that the only way a truly five star book's review can matter is if I don't inflate the review for a flawed book. I'm an educator, and I feel the same about grades. Don't get me started on grade inflation! So if I really hate a book, I will say so and say why. Hopefully that is as helpful as a positive review. I read books for book clubs, and I like to try new (to me) authors, so I haven't always predetermined that I will like a book when I start it.
Great feedback! @sharonm, I'm with you on grade inflation! (Now if only I could give As to those who deserve them and no grade to everyone else....which is sort of how I treat Goodreads.)
I am a reader, not a writer. So I write reviews for other readers and have no hesitation in giving low marks to books that I didn't think worked. I hope I provide justification for my ratings that are clear enough for other readers to decide whether the things that mattered to me would also matter to them. If every review was a positive one, reviews would have no value to anyone - whether reader or writer.Most of my reviews would be four star for books I have enjoyed and three stars for ones where I am meh. But there is a place for the full range, from 1 to 5.
