A Book Reviewer's Conundrum

Book reviewers and bibliophiles worldwide remain divided on two complex questions that fuel and pertain to their work and love of literature.

1.       Why do we review books?

2.       What is the best way to rate a book?

These two questions, aside from a pure love for literature and reading, drive the industry today.

Purpose of Book Reviews

Initially, one would assume that as a book reviewer it is the obligation and responsibility of reviewers to take on any book they accept. Although true, it is but one approach. What is the greater disservice to the public, not writing a negative review resulting in hundreds of dissatisfied consumers spending their time reading a poor novel or never getting to that new author on your reading list whose work is brilliant and reaches thousands because of a positive review? To many, including myself, this is quite the predicament. However, W.H. Auden, I believe, puts it best when he states, “Some books are undeservedly forgotten; none are undeservedly remembered.” Take a moment to really let that soak in. The significance of this quotation lay in the breadth and reality that many works of art and great masterpieces are never discovered or truly valued, but works not worth remembering are just that; not remembered over time.

Therefore, I now think it clear that I, as a reviewer have a responsibility to both warn patrons about negative products and also laud works that don’t receive near enough attention. If a choice has to be made, as some irrational reviewers have predicated, I find it my personal responsibility to readers that I review and introduce a positive work over a lackluster piece that will be forgotten in a matter of time without my involvement anyways. Furthermore, it is a bit sadistic and shameful to take part in anything that can tarnish or hurt another’s reputation. This assessment must and should be made aware to all that review and consider ‘positive reviewers’ as nothing more than ‘marketers and profiteers’. It is far from the truth. The reviewer’s greatest duty is to write and inform authors and consumers about the quality and significance of books. The greatest crime committed in that confidence and trust by consumers given to reviewers is the failure to acknowledge and make them aware of truly marvelous literature.

Some of you are now considering the thought that the aforementioned is a utopian ideal. Not all reviewers are alike and the majority of reviews found out there are not from reputable and professional reviewers. Websites have had frequent issues with authors glorifying their own work or hiring others to do the same. To contrast, some authors and reviewers deconstruct books in order to tarnish a competitor’s reputation. This is a reality and I am not so naïve to believe it does not happen. Despite all that, I have faith that reviewers, overall, seek to provide readers and consumers with accurate reviews to help in their buying decisions and development of future works. What choice do we have? The freedom to review and read whatever you like is more significant than the censorship of the whole lot for a minority’s obstructive actions.

Ratings and Book Reviews

To this point, I have discussed the validity of reviewing methodology without even so much as mentioning a rating system aside from a formal written critique. Large online websites such as Amazon, GoodReads, and Barnes & Noble use customer reviewing systems in which nearly all can post reviews based on a five star system. Many issues arrive from this style of rating printed material. The lack of limitations and easy accessibility regarding this rating system style is a blessing and a curse. All customers have access to writing their own reviews. This generates a vast amount of reviews to help customers in their buying decision, but amateur reviews can often be dishonest at the worst or misguided but true at best.

Customers and others can post reviews and select stars in this fashion:

1 Star - I hate it
2 Star - I dislike it
3 Star - It’s OK
4 Star - I like it
5 Star - I love it

In order for the review to be posted or at least submitted for publishing, 20 words or a video must be submitted and a star rating MUST be submitted. Therein lay the real issue. Is a five star rating system the best way to rate books and printed materials? Most reviewers and critics say no. Simply submitting a star rating for a book does little justice for the author, nor does it aid consumers in deciding on the purchase; at least it shouldn’t. Plainly put, customers look at reviews to decide whether or not to read or purchase the product in question. While some look only at the stars very quickly, most readers, after taking the time to click the reviews link, will go through a couple of the reviews. Depending on where they are at in the decision/buying process they will either find the shorter concise reviews or take the time to methodically go over the longer reviews with greater depth. Most importantly, this process saves them time and sometimes money in the long run.

The greater irony is that professional and reputable websites like industry titans, The New York Times and so forth formulate written critiques. Their exempt status is due to, for lack of a better phrase, no true rating system. It is ironic that the best and most respectable reviewers in the business are not expected to give the books they review a rating or number of stars when consumers navigating major websites gravitate toward the number of stars like a moth to a lamp. On the contrary, it is entirely sufficient for reviewing giants to use their words alone to either flatter and champion literary works or tear down their very foundations so all that is left are a few sputtering words that fall upon deaf ears. Many blogs do the same and maintain an exceptional identity as scholarly and well thought out.

Furthermore, the stars seem to be more of a point of controversy than a true value as evidenced by descriptions for the separate ratings. ‘Like it’, ‘Love it’, and ‘Hate it’ are subjective, and often times, vague terms when associated with literature. Despite opaque meanings and terms from the eyes of the literary world, the five-star ratings are easy for customers to understand and with a large enough quantity of ratings average out to a reasonable rating. Arguments (some have proven to be factual) have arisen about publishers and authors creating accounts in order to lionize or defame a book in the rating.

Should one and two star reviews be given on these web sites and considered credible? Yes, of course they should be. If a credible reviewer finds they have the time, energy, and desire to write and post a negative review, more power to them. Customers truly appreciate saving money when valid points are made regarding the inaccuracies and poor writing of a book or novel. There are both substantial and insubstantial 1-5 star ratings across the web. It is more important to keep consumers informed and educated regarding how to sift through poorly written reviews. That is something that has yet to really be undertaken and would most likely need to be the work of website moderators/editors than credible reviewers themselves.

Until that day comes, readers need to be made aware of how to analyze reviews on major websites. This can be done by asking questions and looking for certain topics. To generalize (there are always exceptions!), most online credible reviews on these websites will contain a short plot summary, some sort of purpose or directive, a critique of the author and writing style, and an overall decision as to whether they would recommend the work to readers and sometimes even a certain audience. Look for those things book readers!

Regarding the stars, analyzing that can be a bit trickier. I would hypothesize that the ratings would follow a standard distribution or deviation (sorry for getting statistical). I would presume that if an experiment was conducted looking at the number of ratings for an author and their work would show the following results: a mainstream and well-marketed work with a reputable author will receive more ratings and will more than likely find a fair value in the law of averages whereas a lesser-known book with fewer reviews will be skewed in one direction. In other words, the more reviews a work has the better chance that the average stars shown at the purchase screen are honest.

Alternative Rating Systems

The argument as to whether or not books should be rated on a five-star system seems a bit too late at this point due to how Amazon and others have become ingrained in the lifestyles of consumers and reviewers alike. However, there are alternatives to the traditional system that can be utilized by reviewers and customers alike.

One alternative may be to extend the stars into a seven-point scale which gives a more accurate account of how the customer or reviewer feels. For instance:

1: Poorly Written and Don’t Read it
2: Pretty bad, but not as bad as it could have been
3: Slightly bad
4: No preference or sentiments
5: Pretty good
6: Quite good, but not as good as it can get
7: Well written and a Must Read

This seven-point scale offers more options while maintaining clear and defined parameters in each category. A ten-point scale can leave too much room for ambiguity and categories too close in meaning. However, this method is simply an extension of the current methodology and offers little in terms of finding a voice and rating system singular and effective with literature and books.

What may be the answer is an edgy alternative more like a survey than rating. If customers and reviewers are presented with a series of yes or no questions, with values attributed to the answers, a final tally could be assessed and attached to the novel/book. What would this value carry or mean? Whatever you like; quills, bookmarks, two thumbs up. Any sort of value would be adequate so long as the professional and literary world agree upon it. This series of questions may include inquiries like, “Would you say the book was poorly written and difficult to understand?” or “Was the depicted setting vivid and fitting for the plot?”. I am not the best source as to what these questions should be nor do I claim to be an authority on the topic, but it is an intriguing idea and could transform the way reviewers can rate and apply a value to a novel without having to decide between ‘like’ and ‘really like’. [1]

It is evident, from the two predicaments facing professional and amateur reviewers alike, that although the issues are complex, solutions are in the making and final resolutions can come from new and innovative thinking. The introduction of the internet and its impact on daily life and globalism has truly changed the world. Reviews are more readily available and this has meant an exponential growth in the number of reviewers. Rating systems need to be reevaluated and customized to the characteristics of books. A five star rating system in which the same standards are given to a lamp and a book should not be the case. Furthermore, reviewers must ask themselves why they write reviews and if that reason is a worthy of the authors who take so much time to write the works and consumers that spend hard-earned money on the product.

Do your reviews emphasize the importance of literature in today’s world and its role in educating, entertaining, and remembering what our minds alone cannot retain? Do your reviews identify and recognize the efforts of unsung authors? Do you aid authors by pointing out methods for improvement and ways to enhance their style and content? Do you think about your role and importance in the publishing process?

~KapticaReviews

[1] L.D. Mackay and R.T. White, “A Note on a Possible Alternative to Likert Scales” (http://www.springerlink.com/content/h4n8612106265812/)

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Loneliness and Chatrooms Never Mix



Photo Attributed to authordenisebaer.com



Denise Baer makes the transition to novels and suspense in Net Switch. This psychological thriller follows Chicagoan Sydney Hayes, a seemingly nominal component of the working world. Her loneliness and a blizzard result in a chat room conversation and a tragic relationship that follows her across the country. Her trials and tribulations include a mental institution, murder, a stalker, and more. Plot twists and tragedies are abundant and readers are definitely left guessing throughout.

Ms. Baer writes in the first person perspective in the guise of journal entries by various characters; Sydney being the primary point of view. The novel focuses primarily on the plot with little attention given to much else. However, this most likely is a conscious decision of the author and can be consistent with the genre. It would not be much of a thriller if all the characters’ secrets were revealed from the start! Some word choices seem out of place and plain, but otherwise the style and writing are above par.



The development and depiction of Sydney by Ms. Baer is spot on. She wanted to create a flawed and insecure character and was successful. Readers will most likely find themselves emotionally angry and dumbfounded by the protagonist and her decisions. It is a struggle at first to relate to her, but is intended. Sydney is a character that creates feelings of both empathy and apathy; a walking oxymoron. This does well to display the dynamics and complexity of her character which deserves attention.

Despite all its strengths, there are some concerns. Ms. Baer’s depiction of policemen throughout the novel is unnerving and throws up a few red flags. The majority of officers manage to ignore, ridicule, or inspire fear for our heroine. This negative portrayal will not inspire confidence in readers about law enforcement, but it is important to note that in many professions there are those that under and overachieve. Perhaps the author intends to warn readers about the pitfalls of blind faith in institutions that the public relies on? To nitpick, the constant hammering of certain phrases in a different font hammers the point across; nearly to the verge of annoyance.



The writing style takes some getting used to, but begins to flow after only a few pages. This novel is a must read for thrill-seekers and fans of psychological journeys. Sexual content does make an appearance, but is far from distasteful. This genre and style is truly unique and stands apart. I cannot wait to see the reception for the novel and for more works from Ms. Baer. Exceptional writing with a strong finish!

Why Books and Printed Materials will Never Go Away

Ladies and gentleman, it is the dawn of a new era. Technology is on the scene with guns blazing and is taking names. What does this mean for older traditions and methodology like books and magazines? Extinction! Disrepute! Annihilation! ALL THE ABOVE!

If you marked a, b, c, or d, you are…wrong! Trends, public scrutiny, and some experts have led the public to generally believe that the advent of the iPad, Kindle, Nook, etc. signal the demise of written civilization as we know it. Is it lamented? No.

However, it’s not true. Let me warn you before continuing on. I am one person with my own viewpoint in a world of billions of people. Trusted and established scholars and professionals in the literary world disagree as to what the future will hold for printed material, and unless I am hopelessly misinformed, no one can REALLY predict the future. The majority of those speaking out do seem to announce the extermination in the next quarter century; a half century at the latest. The arguments below mark my own sentiments and thoughts on the topic and maybe some quick research, reading, and personal experiences to supplement those feelings.

Listed here are not reasons that ensure the success and survival of printed material, but rather, they are strong points to note and consider.

1.       People like books and printed material. There is nothing quite like opening up a new crisp book and ruffling through the pages. More importantly, I don’t think there is an application, as of yet, for e-books or downloaded material that gives it that new book smell of paper or that musky odor from those that have been repeatedly read over many years.  Coffee spills destroy electronic devices, but for books, it adds a flare of character.

2.       Books are more dependable than electronic devices. This is despite the fact that the production of books and printed materials largely comes from paper which is flammable and has many other ways to destroy. I can recall numerous ways that those same methods can destroy electronics as well; however, a book cannot malfunction or receive a virus (computer that is). A book does not need to be turned off at a plane’s take-off or depend upon electricity in the event of a power outage or worse, a zombie attack (just joking about the last one…I think).

3.       Books cross all ages, generations, and boundaries. A big hoopla has been made about differences between generations and that quite possibly as we move into later generations less and less interest and demand will arise from consumers for actual print. However, speaking from my own experiences and my preferences, I would have to say that this conclusion is both rapid and inconclusive. The digital age and rise of electronics and the internet may require a rebalancing of the market in literature, but does not necessarily mean the destruction of it.

For example, young children enjoy viewing the iPad and television shows on those devices, but often take a greater liking and understanding of the large printed children’s books that are big, friendly, child-safe, and just better for hands-on interaction. Is the market changing? Admittedly, yes. There will and must be a redefinition of market-niches and categories to provide for new options available to consumers. To reiterate, redefinition does not equate to termination and the obsolete.

4.       Writing, highlighting, and modifying books are a convenient task. This point coincides with the first, but deserves its own section due to how prevalent this issue is. Despite the limited space found in the margins, it is incredibly easy to accompany my book with a pen and scribble down little thoughts and underline passages of importance. These notes stay right where I wrote them next to the passage that induced the writing. Authors and readers stand strong by this convenience and tradition as a foundation to printed material. Furthermore, marking pages by indenting corner pages and adding sticky notes is another great feature and all of these modifications and markings are easily identifiable to the reader and their copy of a book or other printed material.

These are most likely just a few points of many explaining the benefits and features of printed material and books. It should also be noted that printing is a fairly modern and new technology. By that I intend to refer to Gutenberg, the printing press, and modern forms of development and binding. Books have not and will not overstay their welcome or become obsolete in concerns to their benefits and purpose for society, consumers, and the literary world.

This does not, however, reflect other various circumstances and aspects of the literary world that directly affect the distribution and creation of current printed works. For instance, paper is a finite resource in a sense due to its demand and consumption. Others have also reflected on how mass corporations and entities have a larger influence on the literary world and are pushing out smaller publishing houses. Numerous objections have arisen to describe how printed material will soon become obsolete, listing various reasons, but few incorporate advantages of electronic material over that of printed nor do they admit to the strengths of books and printed materials. I do not deny how astounding and miraculous it is to contain a library of books in one device and have also noted price differences between downloaded material versus the physical form.

However, at this point in time it seems that preference defines the market and not an obvious decline and stagnation of printed material sales. Until a new technology comes out that can convince me otherwise, I still enjoy cozying up to a book on a cold snowy day and continuing to see those coffee stains!

For further information regarding these topics please take a look at some of these articles and do some research yourself. It is an important topic and many should try to make themselves familiar with its discussion and impact. I am sure I have left out much and assure you that my opinion is only one of many. Every voice counts!

Are Books Dead? - Thoughts of Ewan Morrison

Coeus' "Ebooks verus Paper Books-The Pros and Cons"

"The Death of Books has been Greatly Exaggerated" by Lloyd Shepherd

~Kaptica

Hyenas, Tigers, and Man, OH MY!

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

In an attempt to find my own voice and to create an innovative and more personable review of the material I look at and analyze, I think it would be best to reformat and incorporate first person point of view. Without further ado, “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel.

What can I say? The storyline and events of this novel are quite addictive and more importantly, fluid. Young Piscine, “Pi”, Patel details the shortcomings of his own name and his childhood in India with numerous curiosities and triumphs that set his childhood apart from the average kid. His father runs and owns a zoo which becomes a critical piece in Pi’s growth and later survival while stranded at sea for over half a year with only a few surviving zoo animals as companions on a small rescue boat.

I found myself continually bemused and emotionally attached to Pi’s antics and cleverness in survival which speaks especially to Mr. Martel’s ingenuity and creativity in the development of this fantasy adventure. I was, and readers most likely feel the same, continuously considering how well Mr. Martel was able to relay and inspire feelings.

My best example of this comes towards the end of the second portion of the book when Pi has become blind with hunger and suddenly another castaway appears who is French and blind as well. I found myself utterly bewildered attempting to ascertain what was going on. However, this confusion is likely due to Martel’s hand and displays the confusion and blindness that Pi himself must have felt being blind and suddenly meeting another person after tens of days with no companion but a Bengal tiger. It was almost kafka-esque.

I would be detracting from my job and obligation if I did not mention the spiritual undertones and discussion in this novel. Pi is a practicing Hindu, Christian, and Muslim who makes compelling arguments and points about loyalty to one religion and ultimately the larger picture of what belief and piety truly is.

I was, overall, very impressed with “Life of Pi” and consider it something that should be put on anyone’s list to read if your interests lay in adventure, survival, and the new. My only criticism lay in wanting to know the true occurrences and events that surround the plot!

2012 Challenges: My First Challenge!

This will be my first book challenge of 2012 and my first one ever! War through the Generation's blog is hosting a WWI-themed book challenge. I am entering at the dip level which is 1-3 books, but I am hoping that it will end up being many more!

1.

2.

3.

Seigfried Sassoon and Otto Dix, this is for you. I look forward to Ernest Hemingway's, "A Farewell to Arms"

Thanks for the theme and opportunity WarThroughTheGenerations!

Remembering Robert Browning

On this day in 1889, Robert Browning passed away at the age of 77. Mr. Browning had a massive impact on the literary world during the Victorian Era. His wife, Elizabeth Barret Browning, has made her own impact in literature as well. I would reccomend many of his works, including, "My Last Duchess". Here is a link to look at his various works and life.

http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/rb/rbov.html

Thank you for your contributions Mr. Browning!

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Banishment

The banning of books will always be a controversial and touchy subject in today’s society and world. American citizens pride themselves on the freedoms, liberties, and rights that remain prevalent in their homes, but there have been topics and material deemed unworthy for publication, distribution, or the youth of America. What does it take to join the ranks of those who are or were sanctioned? The elements below are methods and topics used to become a banned author. Then again, they might also be attributed for writing bestsellers.

1.       Write about something society can’t decide on- Topics can range from homosexuality, race, religion, abortion, pregnancy, masturbation, to other sexually suggestive material. Better yet, combine them all and there stands Maya Angelou’s, “I Know why the Caged Bird Sings”.

2.       Defamation of government currently in power- Governments have a knack for glorifying current regimes, vilifying the past, and striking down opposition. Aleksander Solzhenitsyn was on both ends in the Soviet Union when he was hailed a hero for his contributions during WWII as a soldier and was later ostracized and banned due to anti-Soviet and Stalin elements in his writings like “The Gulag Archipelago” and “One day in the life of Ivan Denisovitch”.

3.       How-to’s on violence- This may be common sense, but good luck attempting to find a publisher or avoid being banned by numerous organizations and governments when the content depicts ways to inflict violence on others. For example, Eliezer Flores writes and illustrates how to make use of all sorts of readily available objects such as water bottles and window screens in, “How to make Disposable Silencers”.

4.       PROFANITY- Adults (specifically parents and up-tight townsfolk) cannot stand profanity. That is especially the case when the innocent ears of their children who may have never sworn a day in their life could possibly be taking in every word. Mark Twain’s, “Huckleberry Finn”, is an excellent example and was banned by a vast amount of schools and libraries due to use of the ‘n’ word.

5.       Blur the line between fiction and reality- There seems to be a constant and real fear of people (particularly children) being persuaded, influenced, and brainwashed to believe in fantastical illusions. Just ask J.K. Rowling how many angry letters and e-mails she gets for causing children to believe in witchcraft and sorcery.

THE NEW YORK TIMES lists top 100 books of 2011

The New York Times recently released a podcast listing it's choices for the 100 most notable non-fiction books of 2011. Click on the link below to view the article and hear the podcast!

Book Review Podcast: 100 Best Non-Fiction Books of 2011