Monday, November 28, 2011

Ongoing ...

... Dear Book Lover: Why Book Critics Matter - WSJ.com. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

A reviewer's job isn't to service writers; it's to advise their readers whether to buy a book—or go to a movie, eat at a restaurant, see new art. Good book critics are exceptionally well read and can put a book not only in the context of the writer's earlier work but also in literary history. They can say if the novel is Dickensian, Rabelaisian, Biblical, Proustian or Shakespearean or none of the above.

1 comment:

  1. Dear Frank apology in advance for leaving comment as question but the email I found for you bounced back.
    Your work has been a part of my life. I want to send you the ARC of my novel, The Lucky Boy. Part of the story is set in 1965 Philadelphia and the Inquirer is even mentioned, and also 1972 in Radnor on the Main Line. The narrative is a coming of age story and this disturbed boy is seeking a kind of salvation.
    Can you accept an ebook format or where may I mail the actual copy? I know you are retired, I believe the book though dark may interest you.
    Caroline Gerardo
    email: carolinegerardo yahoo.com

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