I realize that everyone's reviews on this forum is just a matter of personal opinion, but I wonder sometimes if my opinion would be in agreement with everyone else's. I am rather a novice at this kind of thing and I sometimes feel I shouldn't criticize if I can't even get a book of my own published. (Not that I've tried yet.) Anyway, I should remind everyone when they read my reviews that these are just my opinions. Feel free to ignore my recommendations if you know your own tastes better.
whitelady Wrote:but I wonder sometimes if my opinion would be in agreement with everyone else's.
No.
Tacit agreement does a disservice to everyone.
Quote: I am rather a novice at this kind of thing and I sometimes feel I shouldn't criticize if I can't even get a book of my own published. (Not that I've tried yet.)
It's no different than offering an opinion regarding a meal or a film. One needn't be a gourmet chef nor filmmaker to give an honest appraisal of satisfaction or otherwise.
Quote:Anyway, I should remind everyone when they read my reviews that these are just my opinions. Feel free to ignore my recommendations if you know your own tastes better.
Certainly. Same goes for myself. I am working to become a published author (not of the Gothic genre). I enjoy reading others' comments here about the novels they've read. So far everyone seems objective and fair (motive) in their comments, pro or con.
Even if I do write a negative "review," I do keep in mind that this person was published...a feat I've not yet accomplished.
However, shortly after the phenomenal success of
Jurassic Park some author got his/her story published about a cloned half-dinosaur, half-human hybrid abducting a woman ala
Creature from the Black Lagoon. :-\ Go figure how THAT got published, lol.
So long as the reviews are objective and fair, I say "go for it." It's a service to others.