Why I Review
- Posted by Johanna on March 9, 2006 at 10:03 pm
- Category: Meta
Not to toot my own horn, but I’m feeling much better (after a week of having a cold for the second time in less than a month), and I had a realization that I’m going to share.
I wish more of my reviewing experiences could go like it did for Solstice. Here’s many of the things that went right:
- I was sent the book unexpectedly, and it was already published (so no pressure about asking for it or feeling guilty about not talking about it in a timely fashion).
- I was unfamiliar with it and I had no preconceptions about the work or its creators, so I could engage it on its own merits.
- It was good, which was a pleasant surprise and made me want to talk about it.
- I hadn’t seen anyone else talk about it, so I had no preconceptions about what I should think about it or anything I felt I had to respond to, directly or indirectly.
- It worked on multiple levels, which provided a variety of approaches.
- I thought I said insightful, or at least interesting, things about it; in other words, I was happy with my work.
- When I sent a link to the publisher, I got back a simple “thank you”.
I don’t think my work, or the book for that matter, is a remarkable classic to be remembered in decades to come, but it was very pleasant overall, the kind of experience that makes me think “that’s why I keep doing this”.
March 9, 2006 at 11:33 pm
You’ve also made me curious enough about the book to want to check it out when I next place an order at Amazon.
March 10, 2006 at 4:40 am
it was a very good review to me. it’s always helpful when one can see WHY somebody likes or dislikes a book, I think it really came through in this review.
the idea of the book is intriguing, I’m thinking about picking this up if I got some money left in the coming months.
it has been reviewed before btw, from Randy Lander at the Fourth Rail.
March 10, 2006 at 1:21 pm
Thanks for the link, Mark. I checked it out. Not bad, but I wish he hadn’t spoiled several of the events in the characters’ relationship. I didn’t think it was necessary to make his points.
March 12, 2006 at 12:53 am
There’s a comics editor/writer, not giving his/her name, who apparently liked to tell his/her writers that writing comics was writing for people who wanted your job.
That writer/editor doesn’t write or edit anything anymore. That makes me happy.
March 12, 2006 at 7:38 am
I don’t know why — they were right, if they were talking about DC/Marvel superhero comics. Most of the people still reading those comics would love to be writing them themselves.