AnyaKimlin
Confuddled
Surely a blogger should be as open to comments as any other author? Being attacked is not pleasant. One of the first pieces I ever posted online was my detectives Joe and Tim. Naively, I had them literally coming out of a closet in the opening scene (the suggestion they had been having a fling in the cleaning cupboard at work).... some of the comments I received about were not exactly constructive. I'm not sure if I should have responded or not, but I was naive and did.
This comment by Susan under the blog sums up my feelings very well. Aaronvitch perhaps shouldn't have commented but as a reader I like listening to authors comment and they are the ultimate canon expert. It rather supports my view when I was doing English Literature that if any of the authors were listening to us discuss their works they would probably be wetting themselves laughing:
Ana, I’ve read the whole exchange between everyone and even tweets outside your blog. I’m compelled to side with readers who would welcome interaction of reviewer and author. Both add to the insight to a book I’m about to read or have read. Dialogue is the name of the game. I’ve read your blog and have taken your advice on books to read. If you don’t want interaction I suggest you adjust your settings accordingly or post a big red STOP sign for authors. An author might find it prudent NOT to answer to criticism and that’s fine. In your case, I found the author wanting to open a dialogue as compliment to your hard work. Your rebuff was too quick. I can relate to this. We often become defensive when our work is questioned and an author understands this well.
In my opinion, it is sad to cut dialogue off at the knees in an avenue where the written/spoken word is king. Without an author, book reviews wouldn’t be needed and without book reviewer, readers might miss an interesting book by a new/old author. Both should exist in this Internet world with respect.
Yes, it’s only my opinion.
Keep on reading!
What I object to is authors of blogs who give negative reviews but don't seem to be able to accept them in return. Being bullied isn't pleasant but if you are online there is an off switch and lots of options to halt it. Segregation is never a good thing but it is accepted in the writing community bloggers vs authors etc I found it very interesting that Ana went on to do exactly what she accused Aaronvitch of. I thought his comments were well thought out, politely written and offered insight. Had he commented on my review I'd have welcomed his insight and possibly had further questions for him. It's sad that because of this we are losing some potentially fantastic interactions with authors and readers.
This comment by Susan under the blog sums up my feelings very well. Aaronvitch perhaps shouldn't have commented but as a reader I like listening to authors comment and they are the ultimate canon expert. It rather supports my view when I was doing English Literature that if any of the authors were listening to us discuss their works they would probably be wetting themselves laughing:
Ana, I’ve read the whole exchange between everyone and even tweets outside your blog. I’m compelled to side with readers who would welcome interaction of reviewer and author. Both add to the insight to a book I’m about to read or have read. Dialogue is the name of the game. I’ve read your blog and have taken your advice on books to read. If you don’t want interaction I suggest you adjust your settings accordingly or post a big red STOP sign for authors. An author might find it prudent NOT to answer to criticism and that’s fine. In your case, I found the author wanting to open a dialogue as compliment to your hard work. Your rebuff was too quick. I can relate to this. We often become defensive when our work is questioned and an author understands this well.
In my opinion, it is sad to cut dialogue off at the knees in an avenue where the written/spoken word is king. Without an author, book reviews wouldn’t be needed and without book reviewer, readers might miss an interesting book by a new/old author. Both should exist in this Internet world with respect.
Yes, it’s only my opinion.
Keep on reading!
What I object to is authors of blogs who give negative reviews but don't seem to be able to accept them in return. Being bullied isn't pleasant but if you are online there is an off switch and lots of options to halt it. Segregation is never a good thing but it is accepted in the writing community bloggers vs authors etc I found it very interesting that Ana went on to do exactly what she accused Aaronvitch of. I thought his comments were well thought out, politely written and offered insight. Had he commented on my review I'd have welcomed his insight and possibly had further questions for him. It's sad that because of this we are losing some potentially fantastic interactions with authors and readers.
Last edited:
