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« GUEST: SCRIBBLING | Main | GUEST: BORONDY, BIRNBAUM, AND THE PRICE OF TEA IN CHINA »

September 30, 2005

GUEST: RUMINATING ON REVIEWS, REUNIONS

It’s been heard before: “I don’t think he/she really read the book.” One of the oldest lines around, among authors, right? Indignant. Pissed. And gotta be wrong, you know. Must be. Except…except when it’s not. Yes, Virginia, reviewers are writing and publishing reviews of books they haven’t actually finished (who knows, may not have even started).

Okay, eyes roll in the audience: “Well, of course, Chris.” But really, I didn’t think so. I hadn’t thought so. Until now. Yeah, color me naïve. I am surprised. (Indignant. Pissed.)

The funny thing? Not just bad reviews I’m talking about here. Good ones, too. Glowing. And hey, we appreciate the good reviews, thrive on the glowing reviews. Sure we do. Love em, however they get them out there. Didn’t finish the book? Well, okay…that’s fine. Except…

Except, really, I wish you’d have finished the book.

I’ve been lucky so far, with the reviews of Voodoo Lounge. Only one negative one so far, and even that one wasn’t horribly negative. But she didn’t finish the book. And three of the positive ones: they didn’t finish the book. How do I know? They all talk about the reunion of two of the characters.

Read the back cover of Voodoo Lounge: smells like a reunion. Begin the novel: looks like a reunion. Get to the end of the book…oops. No reunion.

(That was a slight spoiler there, sorry; but the lack of reunion is not THE major turning point of the book, nor even REALLY surprising if you’re REALLY reading the book, so I don’t mind mentioning it here.)

Note to those who base their reviews on back-cover copy: “When their paths cross again” does not a reunion make.

Any authors out there with similar? Any reviewers out there willing to cop to it? Send me some sugar: blmcwb at att dot net.

Posted by ChristianBauman at 06:33 AM in Virtual Book Tour |

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