Blog Hop from The Blue Bookcase
Question for Feb 9-12
In the epilogue for Fargo Rock City, Chuck Klosterman writes:
"It’s always been my theory that criticism is really just veiled autobiography; whenever someone writes about a piece of art, they’re really just writing about themselves.” Do you agree?
My answer: When I write a review I unfortunately put too much of my personal point of view in the assessment. Not all reviewers are guilty of this.
Ideally, there should be a balance between an objective and subjective examination of a work because a review should reflect some of the opinions of the reviewer, but it should not read like an academic paper. An actual review should not be exclusively about the writer's feelings, likes, and dislikes. If it is, then the review is a veiled autobiography. A review should be a unique, clear, and entertaining evaluation of a book's strengths and weaknesses. At least that's my take on it.
Personally, I plan to start indicating what is my opinion when I write a review. Wish me luck.
