Professional Reviewers vs. Bloggers

I know I said I’d post on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, but I just hate waiting and I have too many thoughts to be patient anyways. So, here I am! Hope your Monday has gone well (it’s about 8 o’clock in my time zone).

Today, I read an article from The Guardian, by Robert McCrum; it was discussing the differences between professional reviewers and amateur reviewers (i.e. bloggers). The final statements were decidedly leaning towards professional reviewers, because their works were thoroughly edited and carefully polished until the final diamond was shining before them, ready to be published, as compared to the “raw” postings of a blogger. The author wrote, and I quote:

None of this [editing] guarantees that such a review will not be savage, destructive, ad hominem or partisan, but it will be considered, and it will loosely articulate the idiolect of literary criticism, a genre that stretches back to Hazlitt, Coleridge, Emerson, Dr Johnson and Macaulay, to name but a few. Any good print reviewer today stands on the shoulders of giants. In other words, such criticism is a) professional, b) not anonymous and c) placed in a literary critical context.

Now, it does say print reviewer. I will allow that minor nuance…

When I first read this, my thoughts were somewhere along the line of: “This man practically called me and everyone else who blogs about books a babbling, bumbling band of baboons.” (Thank you, Ms. Rowling) I was quite offended, to be perfectly honest. But, once I took a step back and swallowed some of my pride, this man *sort of* has a point. Bloggers do tend to have more of a subjective view, in the fact that we express explicit opinions – I do like this, I don’t like this. But every human being expresses an opinion in every word that they speak or type – no one is truly objective. Unless you’re a Vulcan, in which case this post is moot and you can leave now.

Other than that, I really don’t agree with McCrum. (See – we bloggers know how to get to the point.) There is a time and a place for an eloquent, high-brow review that nit-picks every single theme, character, and flaw. I can appreciate the deep analysis and philosophical arguments as to the lasting importance and impact a book might have, but, when I’m trying to decide if I want to read a book or not (and this applies to movies, music, and tv, as well), I just want the straight facts. And most of the time, a blogger will fill that need better than a professional review. I want the honest truth about something – Did it suck? Is it so cliché that it’s good? Am I going to pee my pants laughing? Should I bring a box of tissues? Am I going to be so horribly disappointed at a novel-to-film adaptation that I’ll need my rotten tomatoes? Such questions need answers.

Sure, a blog post is raw. It may include some curse words, some sarcastic wit, some colloquial expressions that are “banned” in literature, but it gets the point across in a way that I won’t have to spend an extra half hour using my dictionary.

That’s all I have to say on that subject. As always, comment, question, wax lyrical about how incredible I am, and so on… (Just kidding on that last part… A bit.)

Bonus question for the day: Do you prefer professional reviews or blogger reviews?

Contact me:

Twitter: @astrid_elaine

Email: astrid.elaine2@gmail.com

Adios, and see you tomorrow!

~ Astrid Elaine ~

PS: Here’s the link to the review I just reviewed - http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2012/oct/01/professional-book-reviewers-better-amateurs?CMP=twt_fd

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Book

As many of you probably know, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a movie coming out soon (already playing in select theatres), starring Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Ezra Miller. I was simply interested because I love Emma Watson, and this is her first major role since Hermione in Harry Potter. What I found was that the movie is actually based on the book of the same name, by Stephen Chbosky, published in 1999. The book has received critical acclaim, and so, curious person that I am, I decided that I had to read the book before watching the movie. I know I'm a little behind the times, but I hope I'll be forgiven since I was only four years old when the book was originally published. My copy of the book came in the mail almost two weeks ago, and I actually wanted to write about it for my first blog post, but life happens and I was distracted by work and such. Last night, I received the news that I had today off, so I stayed up till two AM and read the entire thing. By the end of it I was absolutely blown away; it deserves all of the praise it's received. WARNING: possible spoilers ahead. 

The basis of the novel isn't entirely original; the main character, Charlie, is in his freshman year of high school and is still trying to find out where he belongs in the world. He struggles with making friends, finding his own social circle, and experimenting with drugs, sex, and freedom. If any teenager tells me they've never felt this way, I call BS. What is great about this plot line, and the reason so many authors use it, I believe, is because most everyone has gone through high school. High school is an experience than everyone can relate to, and it is such a pivotal part of an individual's lifetime. High school is where we begin to understand the world, we interact with it, and hopefully leave the end of senior year somewhat prepared for adulthood. Not all of our experiences are the same, and some have it worse than others, but some have it better. But there is still struggle, loss, love, excitement, and adventure to be had for everyone. 

In Perks, Charlie is the main character who embodies all of the characteristics of a high schooler. Charlie, with the help of seniors Sam and Patrick, tackles everything head on in his freshman year. He is introduced to parties with alcohol and drugs, begins interacting with females on a sexual level, and begins to understand the dynamics of his relationship to the world. From lighter topics like first kisses all the way to difficult and controversial subjects like sexual abuse and homosexuality, Charlie experiences it all. In a word, Charlie is ambiguous. Normally, in writing, ambiguity isn't something to be sought after; a character should be solid and defined. In Charlie, however, this quality is his greatest strength. 

Highly introverted, Charlie tries to "participate" and feel "infinite." In his pursuit of this feeling, Charlie becomes a different character to every different reader. For me, as I read the book, I saw every part of myself embodied within the pages. It was almost creepy, to be honest. I have never done drugs, nor drank alcohol, or even been to a party. I have never kissed a boy, and I'm still a virgin. Charlie experienced all of these things, and in those respects is very different from me. I still felt a connection, though, and I shut out those parts of Charlie and found the parts that I could identify with. I think this is what every reader, teenager or not, does with Charlie. As I read, I saw Charlie as a writer, a reader, and a dreamer: those three adjectives I ascribe to myself. While reading, two things Charlie wrote made me smile: "After cleaning my room three times, I decided to leave Ian [Charlie's fictional character] alone for a while because I was starting to get mad at him" and "It [To Kill a Mockingbird] is now my favorite book of all time, but then again, I always think that until I read another book." As a writer, I have been livid at my own creations, and as a reader I always think I've found the best until something else falls into my hands. 

Aside from being able to reach a teenager at any stage in their life, with any experience, Charlie also finds out some universal truths in his journey, like the fact that some moments can only be felt once, in a very specific set of circumstances. Some truths are so small and inconsequential that they are humorous when pointed out: "If they [your parents] ever call you by your first-middle-last name, you better watch out, I'm telling you." And, "There's nothing like the deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons." 

Charlie teaches readers to accept the hard things in life, marvel in the moments that leave us breathless, and learn to appreciate the blessings that we often take for granted. 

Notable quotes: 

"Even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there." 

"The idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life and then make the choice to share it with other people." 

"I don't think we should base so much on weight, muscles, and a good hair day, but when it happens, it's nice. It really is."

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."