Reading a review is hardly a substitute for reading the book under review. Most reviews we read are of books we haven't read. We read the review to get some idea of whether we would want to read the book. And to get some idea of what people are reading. If you want to discuss a book, it's a good idea to read it.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Huh?
… Poynter. � Carlos Lozada: It’s OK if readers use reviews ‘as a substitute for reading the book’. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
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Perhaps Lozada's reviews will be based on others' reviews, then he can skip reading the books that he is supposed to be reviewing. We should not be surprised if that becomes his strategy. Note: It sounds as though he is exactly the wrong person to be working as a reviewer.
ReplyDeleteIn his autobiography, Trollope mentioned this as one of the uses book reviews were in fact put to. I don't suppose he really approved of that, particularly considering his attention to the economic side of the business.
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