I’ve always bleated on about five star reviews, which are frequently supported by useless comments such as ‘couldn’t put it down’, ‘Wow!’ or, my favourite ones, ‘beautifully written,’ or ‘wonderfully crafted.’
I used to subscribe to and even review for newbooks and was for a time taken in by such effusions. I’d think, ‘there’s so much wonderful stuff out there and if only I had time …’ And then I ordered some of these marvels and gradually came to realise that 5* was the norm and that the main function of newbooks was … exactly, to sell new books – and they did a pretty good job of it too – took me in at least.
So, to return to the 5* question about 5* reviews: ignore the stars completely, and concentrate on the substance of the review. Most people would give Marcel Proust a one-star rating, with such incisive comment as ‘Boring!’ or ‘This guy is really up himself, isn’t he!’ Within two lines of a review you’ll know whether you’re being given a bum steer or whether the reviewer has really appreciated the quality of the book and has something intelligent to say about it
Five Star Reviews on Amazon: Are they any guide?
I’ve always bleated on about five star reviews, which are frequently supported by useless comments such as ‘couldn’t put it down’, ‘Wow!’ or, my favourite ones, ‘beautifully written,’ or ‘wonderfully crafted.’
I used to subscribe to and even review for newbooks and was for a time taken in by such effusions. I’d think, ‘there’s so much wonderful stuff out there and if only I had time …’ And then I ordered some of these marvels and gradually came to realise that 5* was the norm and that the main function of newbooks was … exactly, to sell new books – and they did a pretty good job of it too – took me in at least.
So, to return to the 5* question about 5* reviews: ignore the stars completely, and concentrate on the substance of the review. Most people would give Marcel Proust a one-star rating, with such incisive comment as ‘Boring!’ or ‘This guy is really up himself, isn’t he!’ Within two lines of a review you’ll know whether you’re being given a bum steer or whether the reviewer has really appreciated the quality of the book and has something intelligent to say about it