Initially, one would assume that as a a course in miracles authors it is the obligation and responsibility of reviewers to take on any book they accept. Although true, it is but one approach. What is the greater disservice to the public, not writing a negative review resulting in hundreds of dissatisfied consumers spending their time reading a poor novel or never getting to that new author on your reading list whose work is brilliant and reaches thousands because of a positive review? To many, including myself, this is quite the predicament. However, W.H. Auden, I believe, puts it best when he states, “Some books are undeservedly forgotten; none are undeservedly remembered.” Take a moment to really let that soak in. The significance of this quotation lay in the breadth and reality that many works of art and great masterpieces are never discovered or truly valued, but works not worth remembering are just that; not remembered over time.
Therefore, I now think it clear that I, as a reviewer have a responsibility to both warn patrons about negative products and also laud works that don’t receive near enough attention. If a choice has to be made, as some irrational reviewers have predicated, I find it my personal responsibility to readers that I review and introduce a positive work over a lackluster piece that will be forgotten in a matter of time without my involvement anyways. Furthermore, it is a bit sadistic and shameful to take part in anything that can tarnish or hurt another’s reputation. This assessment must and should be made aware to all that review and consider ‘positive reviewers’ as nothing more than ‘marketers and profiteers’. It is far from the truth. The reviewer’s greatest duty is to write and inform authors and consumers about the quality and significance of books. The greatest crime committed in that confidence and trust by consumers given to reviewers is the failure to acknowledge and make them aware of truly marvelous literature.
Some of you are now considering the thought that the aforementioned is a utopian ideal. Not all reviewers are alike and the majority of reviews found out there are not from reputable and professional reviewers. Websites have had frequent issues with authors glorifying their own work or hiring others to do the same. To contrast, some authors and reviewers deconstruct books in order to tarnish a competitor’s reputation. This is a reality and I am not so naïve to believe it does not happen. Despite all that, I have faith that reviewers, overall, seek to provide readers and consumers with accurate reviews to help in their buying decisions and development of future works. What choice do we have? The freedom to review and read whatever you like is more significant than the censorship of the whole lot for a minority’s obstructive actions.
Ratings and Book Reviews
To this point, I have discussed the validity of reviewing methodology without even so much as mentioning a rating system aside from a formal written critique. Large online websites such as Amazon, GoodReads, and Barnes & Noble use customer reviewing systems in which nearly all can post reviews based on a five star system. Many issues arrive from this style of rating printed material. The lack of limitations and easy accessibility regarding this rating system style is a blessing and a curse. All customers have access to writing their own reviews. This generates a vast amount of reviews to help customers in their buying decision, but amateur reviews can often be dishonest at the worst or misguided but true at best.
