Spam comes from boredom

[averygoodun42]

I just finished Fay Weldon's "Letters to Alice Upon First Reading Jane Austen." I smirked at the irony of how the back pages are filled with critics' reviews of her previous books.

I do believe this is a book I will have to buy. There are so many wonderful quotes and observations that I will remember only the vague notion of, and then be distraught when I can't find the reference.

At least it's a short book, so the rereading to find the line won't take forever and a day.

EDIT: And on a related note, is the fear of leaving critical reviews in the fandom purely based on etiquette, or is it more a fear of receiving in kind?

I think the latter, myself.

Comments

[zalena.livejournal.com]

You can keep the book! Really, I just go around buying copies for the express purpose of giving them to people.

[shiv5468.livejournal.com]

Fear of being thought nasty, I think.

I don't leave critical reviews because I can't put up with the whining from the author's friends andhangers on, which happens even when the author is perfectly happy with what you've said.

Ohhh you're sooooo meeean.

Yeah, and?

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

Okay, okay, I give in! Thank you. I might have to start doing that as well.

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

Well, that's what etiquette is all about, isn't it? Social niceties to keep everyone happy and subdued, and if you dare break with protocol then you're labeled as a dissident or, worse still, a big, mean, party pooper.

I just left my first critical review, and the best part is, I doubt I'll hear back about it. I certainly am not going to check up on the reviews page to see if I've been flagged a troll.

But I think I was pretty nice about it, really. *sigh* Ah well. Hopefully with a few hints here and there we'll get better writing out of the masses? (I'm an optimist, I know.)

[shiv5468.livejournal.com]

I prefer the term infidel. :D

Oh bless, I see you're still at the optimistic stage of fandom. Mind you, there's some good stuff around at the moment.

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

Infidel... That's a lovely word, that is. Much like "barbarian," only with more style.

Yes, I am terribly optimistic. But, see, things like this exchange do so much for my level of hope... it's hard not to be optimistic!