reading BRUTAL reviews of my favourite books 💀
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- Опубліковано 15 лис 2024
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ok but the worst thing is when you read a negative review of a favourite book and they're actually making some good points.....
Yeah, but you're allowed to negatively see some parts of your favourite books! Like, mine is Nightrunner, a fantasy/slow romance book. I love it, I have a geat time reading it everytime., but there is this huge and unnecessary age gap between the characters that is completely overlooked, and thinking about it makes me so mad, even though I love the book.
@@Charlie_Fuchsexactly! liking a book but also recognising its flaws is a key part of critical reading
Still at Wicked the book, but if you use the poster for the musical as your book cover, you better expect some comparisons! It’s totally fair from readers, because that’s how it’s marketed!
That's why movie/TV editions and such of book covers are so awful! Take The Haunting of Hill House, for example. The book and show have barely anything in common, and people who have seen the show will get the book and be disappointed because of it, even though they might have enjoyed it had they gone in with different expectations.
I work in a library, and some of my best finds come from people giving their negative review of a book they're returning 😅
Hahah LOVE that
I can’t read bad reviews of books I love, it makes me sad that books I love don’t always translate and make others feel the same way I did
Super interesting! I’m a big sci-fi lover and recently I leant my copy of Hank Green’s book (An Absolutely Remarkable Thing) to a friend. For context, I found his book to be super original, very well paced, intriguing, and basically a modern classic of the genre. And my friend was LUKEWARM about it. Lukewarm!?! She could have had the decency to hate it 😅
I have to admit that I didn’t really like the book at all. Love Hank, did t love the story. It was definitely original, though, and the ending really stuck with me.
I might recommend them but I no longer loan books to friends... I find that it seems to become a chore for people rather than an enjoyment. Kind of like giving out homework. I also enjoyed An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and I hope it gets made into something visual. It would be really interesting to see.
I actually find reading bad reviews of books I've enjoyed to be quite freeing as a creative person myself. Often I find that people hated a book (characters, plot lines, pacing, etc) for the same reasons I loved it. Which reminds me you can never please everyone so just make the art that makes you happy!
A few years ago, a friend of mine criticised the Handmaid's Tale for a reason that I thought was exactly the point of the book. So completely agree!
I'm always stunned that people like Wuthering Heights and hate Jane Eyre, when I couldn't feel more in the opposite direction
SAME
Me too it's so odd
This is so interesting - i read WH for the first time this year and adored it. And Jane Eyre is sitting on my shelf and I’m definitely picking it up next. I hope I adore them both
Jane Eyre was literally the most boring book I was forced to read in my life - I really really tried but it’s HUGE and I can’t count the number of times I fell asleep. Maybe it was too subtle for me 😅 SORRY TO ALL THE LOVERS
Sarah, you enchanted me, strange fairy...hehehe....
You get it... I'm being him.
I think a version of this video reading three star reviews could be interesting! I often find that there isn't a lot in one star review but three stars can almost be more cutting.
Learning to say "It's not for me," regarding art that I didn't enjoy was huge for me. It reminds me that the world of books is far more vast than I could read in a thousand lifetimes, and someone's gotta read those books! Just not me. And that's okay. :)
Yes its definitely okay to dnf
I usually read the bad reviews before buying a book. If the arguments presented against are things I like, the book is for me! I don't read the good ones, there is no information there!
I do this too! I'm extremely picky so the positive reviews rarely help me 😅
That's really smart actually! Positive reviews don't often go into enough detail and it's quite frustrating, the negative reviews do however... genius!
It's funny but this made me really interested in reading Wicked. Well played Leena 😂
I am reminded of my experience listening to The BangingBookClub Episode about Lolita - a book that I love and call one of my favorites of all time. Leena and the others had a very different reaction to it and remember wanting to go "No, but See, that's the point of the book (for me)" quite often😅
Random comment but there are a lot of people who use quotation marks for titles (books, movies, songs). I don’t think there is anything else meant by it. 🤷♀️👍
Yep, in Germany we would always use "Name of Book" to refer to a certain book, I remember being very confused when I first moved to the UK and single quote marks were used instead.
Part of being a well rounded person is interacting with things you dont like. Being willing to do that being ok with reading a book you may not like or seeing peoples negative opinion son things you love is brodening your horizons. We cant learn and grow if we only interact with media that keeps us comfortabe and is agreable to us. Not every leson is learnd joyfully
I completely agree! I read two books that I didn't like this year, or not as much as I thought (The Secret History - but I had very high expectations - and The Portrait of Dorian Gray). I wanted to discuss it with a colleague, who loved these books, and he judged me very harshly on the basis that I didn't like his favorite books. he refused to discuss it, which made me quite sad because I was really interested in learning what he found so enjoyable and I didn't.
@@Charlie_Fuchs hehe ironically the secret history would definitely have made my top list of books to read before you die
@@Charlie_Fuchs that's so sad, I think sometimes people think anyone disliking what they like is an attack on THEM rather than the thing itself, and it doesn't necessarily have to be an attack at all. Good for you for approaching it with an open mind and being curious about another person's perspective
@@StrawberryBats67 that's why I read it ! But I was kind of disappointed - I loved the beginning, the world-building, the mystery, but the murder and everything after it was so gloomy and sort of pointless? I felt like I wasn't the right public suddenly, which was sad because it should have been just my kind of books (I mean, teens nerding about Greek and camping in a library? That's my people). That's also the reason why I wanted a second opinion. But I'm still happy I read it.
@@beanbagbooksWe do think about books as a reflection of our identity sometimes, so it makes sense that he felt attacked! But I think it's a great experience to talk about art you love with people who also have strong/interesting opinions about it, even if it's negative, yeah
My parents bought Wicked for me when I was 10 because I was obsessed with the musical. I got to the first sex club scene, put it down, and I've never been able to pick it back up in the nearly 2 decades that have followed. My mum was understandably horrified when she realised that so much had been changed and removed in the adaptation process and I don't think she every bought me another vaguely adult without reading it first until I was at least 16
Did a detour to read the one star amazon reviews of This is how you lose the time war and... you're absolutely right. They were all criticizing its poetic nature, the lack of proper sci-fi elements and the fact that it had no actual story. These are all the things I like about it. It's a story about how the lines between love and hate are especially thin where the hate is constructed as a narrative by a government. It's about learning to respect the people on the other side of the "war" from you as, at the very least, being good at what they do. And it's about the transformative power of the love that two people can share when faced against the odds. (There was also one person who was miffed that it hadn't been tagged as a queer romance which I personally found hilarious as I bought it in a queer bookshop)
Not a book, but my biggest lesson in this was The Last Jedi. I saw it right after it came out and it could not have been more moving and profound for me at that point in my life. I was so personally hurt when I went online and saw the absolute vitriolic responses to the film on social media, so I had to point blank decide that it wouldn’t make my experience any less valid.
The Last Jedi was the best Star Wars movie, I will die on that hill.
In a recent episode of the podcast Books Unbound Ariel and Raleen talked about how they noticed that a lot of the translated fiction they read scores below average. I went back to check Storygraph scores of all of the Japanese authors I've read this year and yeah...a lot of them hover below 3.6. I wonder why that is? Good thing I don't give a toss about ratings though or I would've missed out on my one and only 5star read this year!
It's a culture thing, I'm 99% sure. I have difficulties reading translated Asian* literature, because of the cultural differences. It seeps through in so many aspects of a book, from writing style to literary devices used, to the way characters and worlds are built and described, etc. I've read translated literature from a lot of different languages, yet Asian to English books always feel very translated to me. And it's not because they're badly translated (I think), but because there are so many differences, cultural and linguistic, that make it very difficult to properly translate it to a different language and culture. And I think a lot of people feel similarly, they have a difficult time relating to characters, enjoying the story's pacing, they maybe don't understand some of the more subtle themes, etc. Which is also a reminder to keep in mind that these reviews are about someone's personal reading experience, and don't necessarily say anything about a book's literary quality.
* I say 'Asian' broadly here because it's something I've noticed about books from different Asian countries and different Asian languages. I'm not implying all Asian countries are the same and have the same cultures etc
Makes me think of the musical, Title of Show- “I’d rather be nine people’s favorite thing than a hundred people’s ninth favorite thing”!! You should check out the song from that show called “die, vampire, die!” It’s all about the voices in your head telling you you’re not good enough or tame enough or whatever and just saying f it I have something to offer!
Love this piece, Leena. Word of advice from one writer to another. Don’t edit while you’re creating, ever.
At some point in my early adult hood I realised giving and receiving book recommendations is really more about sharing core parts of ourselves with others in the hopes they will see that part revealed in the text and thus see you. I can’t know if my friends who have read my favourite books after I recommend them felt this, but I keep it in mind when I am reading someone else’s recommendation. I am considering both what do I feel about this text and what was it in this text that spoke to my friend? 💚
This is beautiful
I don’t tend to recommend my favourite books. I tend to recommend books based on the individual’s tastes.
I get admittedly very frustrated with reviews of books that say something like "who could ever like this book??!!" While I understand that sentiment when you've read something that you think is awful, I'm always careful to stipulate that it's just not for me, because the above statement is so unhelpful. It's not like I can't comprehend somebody liking something I didn't - the other people who exist in the world are different to me, so of course they'll interpret a piece of art differently!
I read Motherhood at your suggestion - I wasn't feeling it at first, but then it hit me over the head with something profound and I had to keep reading. Loved it but also agree with most of the criticism that it gets.
I relate with this. I’ve almost finished it. I have found some profound moments in it and sometimes I really am struggling with it.
I would love to hear you talk about why you love Wicked so much. I read it last year and felt like I just didn't get it. I love hearing people talk about why they love books and would love a video essay on your thoughts.
She may have a video on it! I feel she's spoken at length a about it, but I don't remember where.
I disagree. The things i hate in books are never something that gets tagged, so the negative reviews sort of end up being the tags for me. I think it's perfectly valid to make negative reviews for any reason, just so that other people who would have disliked the book for the same reasons would have a chance to find the review and skip the book if they recognize that the same thing would be a problem for them. Even for example for the musical vs book thing.
I always judge a book by what the negative reviews are about. There are plenty of negative reviews that actually make me want to read a book, but that doesn't mean these reviews shouldn't exist. When there are no negative reviews at all, that is definitely worse, it only means that the book is niche and i'll have no idea whether i would fit into that niche or not.
i totally agree with you. love how you provided a reason why negative reviews can be useful for people, even for books that are some people's favourites! i think we can assume that leena's got this particular opinion towards negative reviews for her favourite books because of her bias towards her those books (they're her favourites, after all!) and that's perfectly fine! can we really be unbiased when we're talking about our favourite things, really? x
Was a bit scared to check the reviews of my favourite books but actually turned out to be quite entertaining. Especially the 1 Star Reviews😄
Writing a novel at the mo and this is just what I needed to hear, thank you Leena!
When I'm looking into a book before reading it, or even if I finish a book but I'm not sure how I feel, I always like to read an array of reviews because I've realized over time that what what doesn't work for others is actually what I'm looking for (and vice versa). I tend to look for keywords that I think will represent how I do or don't want to feel when reading, and it's been a helpful exercise in solidifying my own tastes! But admittedly, I do have a difficult time when it seems like a reviewer is deliberately missing the point of everything in the entire book (or when their review is full of sassy gifs, or they admit they haven't actually finished it)
as someone who enjoys being absolute menace in writing reviews, imagine the relief of finally dragging a book through the mud in a goodread review, personally book hating is so fun. i also love reading bad reviews of books i enjoy, it's never harms my enjoyment.
I adored Motherhood but I’m also an artsy mfer with a philosophy degree and a “not real” job, so.
I think it’s interesting that people are criticizing it for not being constructed more like a novel when it’s more of a memoir/philosophical treatise and that’s precisely what I find interesting and kind of comforting. Sometimes novels stress me out bc they’re too many steps removed from the actual thing that’s trying to be grappled with in the novel (not always, but a novel has to really hit for me to like it and a memoir/book of essays/ oral history doesn’t have to work as hard with me lol. I recognize that makes me weird)
Oh dear, I read Motherhood because you recommended it and wrote a really harsh review on Goodreads. Glad you didn't pick it for the video!
I love your content and the way you communicate, so I am not upset about having read a book I did not enjoy. As you say, there is something very interesting about finding out why something you love is not other people's cup of tea or vice versa.
Just wanted to say, some of us are here to listen and be educated, to an extend, but we can also disagree on some points!
"it never arrived" - ⭐️ made me laugh out loud. Doesn't get more pragmatic than that. ALSO Leena, you look incredible in this video?!
i loved this and agree completely. a couple of months ago i was having a confidence crisis about my writing but then i read a 1-star review of the book i'd just finished and LOVED--i am homeless if this is not by home by lorrie moore, highly recommended--and it got me out of writer's block immediately... to know people could miss the point so much and criticise such an unquestioningly good writer made me realise that there will always be critics!!
What I’m taking from this is that I’m not smart enough to read the books you like 😂 I am the person who is like ‘NOTHING HAPPENS I AM SO BORED’.
I absolutely love this, Leena, and how it can apply to your own writing process. Also had to pause the video and take a deep breath before proceeding to read the motherhood reviews. That was one of my top favorite reads of the year and the “soul of time” and ancient coin flipping method were my favorite concepts. I’m glad Sheila did not stray away from the essence of the book based on what potential critics might say cuz that book still has a hold on me and will for the duration of my adult life.
I hated *Wicked* and noped out at the sex with animals bit. I was wondering if my review was there 😬
This makes me feel bad as I love wicked the musical but really struggled reading the book.
I try not to read others reviews because I don’t have enough conviction in my own opinion to not be swayed… although like reading other reviews if it concretes my feelings when I’m unsure and can’t tell why
Yes!! What a fantastic video, thanks Leena! Do you think you’ll make an in depth video about just Wicked the book once the film release is closer? I read it a few years ago and was compelled by it but also felt a bit too dumb to understand what was really happening haha…would love to hear your thoughts about it :))
I can say with ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY tht I will ;)
Hi Leena, really hope you see this comment, I keep trying to leave one as soon as I can on a video but because I'm in Australia I usually can't be there right when you upload!! I was hoping you would do a video on Leather clothes vs Vegan Leather because I don't understand why people hate normal Leather- and I trust you to do a nuanced video talking about the pros or cons of both. Vegans seem to be against traditional Leather- but isn't vegan leather just plastic?? That seems way worse for the environment than a natural material like leather to me. Isn't leather basically the same thing we've been wearing since clothes were first made?? In which case it seems like a much better material because it will break down in the earth's natural life cycle?
I don't agree with killing cows/animals just for their leather at all, but if people are going to eat meat anyway (I don't agree with the rate people eat meat fyi) then shouldn't we try and use as much of the animal as physically possible in order to get as much out of those resources as we can?
I know this is a long comment but I genuinely don't understand the outrage against traditional leather because it seems to me like Vegan Leather is just plastic, which is negative for a long time on the planet?
I know the climate videos are super important, and i gladly watch, ive learnt a lot. But i also really miss your book videos, so was glad to see this. Any chance of a sustainable/book buying xmas guide?
She released one a week or two ago. She wanted people to have time to buy/make gifts so she was super early.
Thank you! I have also been working on a manuscript for YEARS and getting in my own way by trying to anticipate and guard against potential future criticism. Your video reminded me of the important idea that I’m not for everyone. I genuinely can’t please everyone. And, the people who will love what I have to offer need it in my own voice and not watered down to bland nothingness by too much concern for critics.
Also, at the end of the video, I thought, “oh, we don’t pay any heed to criticism from people who don’t understand the assignment!” Got it.
Thanks for another brilliant video. Your framing and presentation of these ideas really struck a chord with me, and I appreciate it!
reading motherhood right now so perfect timing! part 2 pleaseeeee ❤️
Yes, part 2
Ooh The Remains of the Day, great book, and the screen adaptation of this novel with Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson is phenomenal too. Thank you for another great video Leena!
K so, if i saw The Remains Of A Day on the shelf i would have passed by while screaming "BOOORING". But your description of it means i now need to read it!
Regarding the comment that said - don’t bother, nothing happens’.. those can be my favourites. An incredibly well written story doesn’t even need to be that ‘interesting’
Stoner by John Williams is my favourite example of this. Is it amazing? Yes. What’s it about? Not much really
Oooof your ending here, big time! I know I'm constantly trying to pre-empt peoples reactions to my work, but theres always something, there's always bad faith people, or people who don't actually listen, its a headache at times
Have been talking to people about the new Saltburn movie and it’s exactly what you said, what they criticize is exactly what I admire about it!
The criticism I've seen is that it's unoriginal and manufactured and made for tiktok or twitter clips
That ending monologue worked me out what the hell hahahah the advice I've needed all my life and I hadn't a clue
As I HATE musicals, I was quite meh about the whole Wicked experience, and honestly, I really disliked both the musical and the book. I don't mind long books, I don't mind "scandalous" things, it just didn't speak to me at all. I did love The Remains of the Day and haven't read Motherhood (and honestly unpacking the ideas in it seem not for me as a Black person, so I may avoid it to be honest).
i was just thinking about this the other day while reading goodreads reviews of Sally Rooneys admittedly quite divisive beautiful world, where are you which i absolutely adore. and while there are many critisisms of that book i understand some of them really just critisise the choices that Sally Rooney makes as if she is unaware she's making them! of course that could be true but to me it's such a baffling thing to assume the author didn't put any thought into what their style choices (for example) would mean for the novel.
Love what you're saying about negative reviews reaffirming your positive opinions of works of art.
Pearls of wisdom in the last thirty seconds, very apt and useful to know in life. Never thought about it like that before.
Omg I completely relate to what you were saying about reasons someone not liking you being core to who you are. There’s one in-law I have who told everyone she doesn’t like me because I’m loud, outspoken, and opinionated and I’m like, yeah. I am. Lol. Those are core components to my personality, that I like about myself more often than not. It’s a funny thing to have to sit with, but I will say, it doesn’t make me feel bad about myself.
Oooh Motherhood sounds like it's in the same vein as My Work by Olga Ravn (very good), might have to check that one out!
It's self-indulgent to write about yourself and your relationship in your diary? What else is a diary for if not to write about stuff like that?
I love reading bad reviews for books I love, because it gives me a different perspective on the story, and also sometimes makes it easier for myself to understand why I did like it. If someone says they hated a certain element, I can use that to formulate an argument in my head why I disagree with them. And sometimes it makes me look at a book more critically, because someone else might have picked up on things I missed. It's also made me realize that a lot of readers don't actually read critically. They only care about if something is enjoyable, if the characters are likeable, if they relate to the characters. And if I see a book that has a lot of bad reviews, but the reviews are all superficial like 'I didn't like the main character', that means less to me than a thorough critique of the book as a whole. So I really appreciate bad reviews for different reasons! Positive reviews are often superficial as well, so I rarely pay attention to those. If a book has a hundred reviews praising it, and ten negative reviews, I'm generally more interested to see what the negative reviews say.
ugh leena i already love this
I loved watching this, and it made me think about how literature and other forms of art, but literature especially, is often viewed in this capitalistic way in which it's a book's job to give you what you want, and if you don't like it, that's the book's fault. I see so many complaints that "this book was blurbed to be happy, but it has some sad things in it, so I don't like it" or "they said this would be like Harry Potter and it isn't, so I don't like it." Sounds like bad marketing, or just marketing you disagree with. The book has a right to exist even if you don't like it. Part of the fun of reading is not knowing for sure what you'll think.
Also not everything is for everybody. In fact, most things aren't for everybody, and that's fine. I don't like mysteries that much, and I don't read many of them because my reviews would probably be like "I hate that the whole thing is about who killed the duchess because I don't care who it was." I'll save everyone the trouble and just read other things lol
This is such an interesting video. I’ve definitely been on both sides: someone not understanding a book as I’ve come at it with preconceptions E.g. Wicked. I didn’t love it but I was a big Wizard of Oz and Wicked fan. Now, with time, I think I could re-read it and take it as a separate story with its own merits.
I’ve also found that sometimes I love a book for the nostalgia of it and other people don’t have that connection. Some books will always hold a special place in my heart because they take me back to different points of my life and re-reading then feels like returning to that version of myself. 💙🩵
P.S. I now want to look up reviews on my favourite books to inspire me to start writing this fantasy book I’ve had in my head for about 8 years. I have so many pages of brainstorming and now I need to actually take the leap and dare to write it. Thank you for the reminder about art being subjective!
My friend hated The Bell Jar because the character was moany and depressing! I questioned our friendship that day.
I've read Wicked because of the musical, so it probably was a good idea to have the rights sold - I'd never learn about the book otherwise. Thankfully, I knew the plot was significantly different, and I ended up loving the book.
This video made me think about reviews / reccomendations in general. I have a lot of thoughts on that, ecpecially since I realised that even when I adore someone's content and most of what they reccomend, it can still be very hit or miss. I learned to listen more carefully to the key words, to some aspects of WHY does the person like or dislike the book. And not feel pressured, I know my taste, but it took me a while to figure it out :)
I think most 1-star reviews (book or music or other types of art) boil down to: it just wasn't the right book for the person. And that's ok, we don't need to like all the same things. That also means that we don't need to make art that agrees with everyone, because that would be absolutely impossible to do.
That's also probably why the low-star ratings are the most useful to me. I can either discover "well yeah, I wouldn't like that as well, that book probably isn't for me" or "hmm that sounds interesting, need to give it a try".
My most controversial art opinions are that I did not finish The Lord of The Rings because it was too drawn out and boring for me, and that I don't care for either Queen or The Beatles. All of these are great books/music that are loved by many people. Me not liking it doesn't take anything away from other's enjoyment of the art or the influence the art has had on society/other artists. Some authors whose work I really enjoy cite Tolkien as a major influence. Similar with musicians.
Art should not be made to be liked, but for it's own sake. That's the point of art. People liking (or disliking) it will come afterwards any way.
I have picked up books based on some 1 star reviews, because those markers are things I know I like. Also, I have to admit I picked up Sheila Heti’s Motherhood based on your reviews and sadly it didn’t work for me, the coin toss was one of the those irks for me. Love that you picked up the points about the coin toss and it’s purpose, but sadly was not for me and that was disappointing also because I picked a beautiful hard copy in the US. Still it got donated. Hopefully some else loves it more now.
This was so fun! I'm definitely looking up negative reviews for books I love. But ALSO good reviews for book I hate! Haha!
I find it interesting when people criticise art for being too self-indulgent. Like do these people want the artist to be totally impartial during the creative process, like an AI bot that just churns out content with no heart or soul? I tend to find books/art to be more enjoyable when you can tell the writer/artist enjoyed making it!
Self-indulgent doesn’t mean “enjoyed making the art,” it means navel-gazey and too narrow in scope based on the artist’s limitations and biases.
My opinion is that writing a book and publishing a book are two very different things. You shouldn't worry about what others will think when writing, be cause in my opinion the most important thing is that you enjoy writing it (especially considering how much work it is). If you decide to publish you'll have a whole team to help you worry about what others might think, anyway.
I loved the flipping coin parts of motherhood too!
There is a place for okay books too. I don't feel like I wasted my time reading okay books. It's the majority of what I've read. Sometimes we place the bar higher for ourselves than it truly needs to be.
I immediately bought Wicked : ) while reading. Remains of the Day is one of my favourites too. Fantastic video on a Channel I would (maybe) die for.
Wicked is one of my favorite books ever, thanks to you! 💕
Yeah I think with any creative endeavour, ultimately you need to create the work that brings you joy and stays true to you (leave people pleasing behind at the door) because there will always *always* be someone (or many someones) that don't love it, or don't get it and criticise it harshly especially if it gets a global audience... you can't be everyone's cup of tea, and that's okay. The people that love it, thems your people
I really need Wicked the Musical the Movie to come out so you can make a video explaining to me why it's good - I saw Wicked for the first time on tour in Philadelphia and I... came away feeling quite disappointed and wondering, "Is it me? And I too dumb/snotty/particular" to like it? --- I have NOT read the book yet, but I do actually plan to read it soon because the things I disliked most about the musical seem like things that could be fixed by the book.
(irrelevant to everything and this excellent video; all the colors in frame are LOVELY and suit you so well. what a delightful chair)
I read Wicked when it was first out. It might’ve even been an uncorrected proof, in fact. Fast forward a decade and another mom is telling me excitedly about her weekend plans to take her preteen daughter to the musical. 😮 SO glad to have finally had the clarification that they are NOT the same.
Totally agree that people need to separate shipping issues from actual product reviews. Good grief.
QUESTION FOR EVERYONE HERE:
Do you guys know any international publishing office (can be female-oriented) that takes submissions? I am asking here as a novella I've wrote seem to match Leena's tastes so may match her subscibers tastes as well. This novella is sitting in a drawer for years and the beginning of this video gave me another push to try to get it published.
no idea whatsoever, replying to your comment to make it more visible.
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Thank you, guys ♥️
Oh Leena you have soothed a mild (or maybe not so mild) irritation i have had for ever for bad and unreasonable reviews of books. It drives me mad when people write bad reviews because it doesn't align with their likes, dislikes or beliefs, or their preconceived ideas on how the book would turn out to be. Just because a book wasn't suited to your tastes doesn't mean it deserves a 1 star. It makes me incredibly sad to read 1 star reviews of exceptional books just because it doesn't cater to a wider audience imagination. Thanks for making this video, maybe this will help people rate books more fairly ❤
I’ve not read The Remains of the Day but had a similar experience talking to my brother about the movie adaptation. He thought it was dull, slow, and nothing happened! Whereas I loved the tension, the minute detail, and the irony. My brother works in film, by the way (as a DP). I wonder if he feels the same 20 odd years after first watching it.
1:10 girl same. Ive been writing the same story for 8 years.
I was so excited to see this video because I read Motherhood based on your recommendation and hated it! As a queer woman it felt very alienating and I didn't like the way she spoke about queer people's desire to be parents. Definitely think it's a book designed to be read by straight women and had nothing interesting to say to me as a lesbian in a wlw relationship.
Omg Leena, yes! The criticisms are the core! You're so right! I feel so much better thinking of it that way. Like, people get so creeped out by the grooming dynamic in the time traveler's wife, and dismiss the author for writing something gross, and I want to scream: That's what the book is about! Agency! What you can and cannot control in life, in your body, in your heart, etc! Ah! It's a pretty dark book that sweeps people up in a romance because the romance is from *their* perspective. But it's really not that subtle lol plot-wise.
I think a lot of negative reviewers need to have some self reflection. I for example read Normal People and didn’t understand the hype, found it pretty annoying and uninteresting. But I realise this isn’t a book aimed at me. I didn’t go to school or university so I don’t relate to it. I also am very honest and straightforward with my feelings and I value good communication. Very much not the book for me but that is okay! Same with Motherhood. I read it because I heard great things from Ariel Bissett and I found it pretty long and dreary but I have always wanted to be a mother so haven’t had any of these thoughts and couldn’t relate. Again that is absolutely okay! It’s just not a book for me.
Eh, I don't think people necessarily have to relate to something to like a book. I would argue that seeing other people's experiences and thoughts and lives is an important part of reading.
@@giuf175 oh I agree I just mean in these instances I didn’t enjoy it but it might be bc it’s not written for me. One of my favourite books is Convenience Store Woman so I definitely don’t have to relate to enjoy or appreciate.
@evietaylor94 No that's totally fair. I mean those people that will read a well loved and regarded book, not get it or enjoy it and then act like it's the worst book ever written and everyone that loves it is an idiot. Kinda giving main character energy in a bad way. I'm finding it hard to articulate my meaning! I just mean that I didn't enjoy Normal People and i will express why to people and say I didn't get it, but it's a lot of people's favourite book and I can appreciate that Sally Rooney is a talented writer, I don't need to act like my opinion is the only one that matters.
Studying Motherhood by Meti in my English Lit class… it wasn’t about her story, it was the “voice” in which she told her story, of which was refreshingly different and original to other literature of its time. Did I love it? Well I’m one of those annoying people who only read literature for learning… but prefer reading genre fiction for fun and entertainment.
It irritates me no end when people leave negative reviews because of the condition of the book or lack of delivery etc. That's an Amazon issue. Not a book issue! The review isn't for that and can negatively effects authors.
This was so fun!
Hey leena! Long term viewer and big fan! Where is the best place to buy your book that you receive the most royalties from? Its not sold directly from your website and I
want to make the right decision!
You just made me want to read The remains of the day!
Thanks!
It's very common to put quotations around a title.
I read wicked as a child because I liked the wizard of oz and .... well, let's just say I wasn't ready. I didn't "get" it and I was freaked out by all the sex. but your enthusiasm for it makes me want to give it a second try as an adult!
Whoops, I zoned out and missed that you'd transitioned to a second book so I had a solid minute of 'huh, I don't remember any detailed analysis of Butler Qualities in Wicked, but I guess I did read it a long time ago?' before I glanced at the screen and went OH.
Is that a dress you've seen Leena? It's lovely, very cottage core 🥰
If you think about it, you put yourself way more out there with your youtube channel than you would do by releasing a book - any rando with internet access can come and watch probably hundreds of hours of your thoughts, and leave whatever comments they like (wonderful or awful) that have a good chance of being read by you and that might impact the way you think/feel. With a book you're just sort of shooting it out into the ether - you can even write under a pseudonym if you're worried that people won't like it, and if people want to criticise it, they don't generally do so directly to you. Being an author feels like it would be more anonymous than being a youtuber.
Love this advice though, you're right it can feel hurtful when people criticise the things you love, but it doesn't mean you are wrong for loving them
My god Leena you are insuffrable in this video. "If this is how you approach art...", "that's a you problem", "you have missed the point of art"...
I get that it's your favourite book and you wrote a thesis on it, but there is no reason to imply people are stupid because they don't like it.
Thanks
The self-indulgent diary-entries about her and her boyfriend honestly sells me hahahah, sounds like I love Dick which I also really liked
This is why I don’t typically review things. If I didn’t like it, it just wasn’t for me. I don’t want to stop people from experiencing things because it might actually be for them.
If you get that stuck on writing, you need a line editor, and check your scenes, if a scene doesn't either tell us about a character nor progresses the plot, either rewrite it to fix the pacing, or scrap it all together.
I HATED Wicked! I never saw the musical but talked to people who love it and it's completely different. The book seems to have a lot of unorganized ideas. Just when one aspect sounds kinda interesting, something else unrelated happens. It's very political in a confusing way. The characters aren't very fleshed out. We don't really explore relationships of any kind. The sex stuff didn't bother me but it does come out of nowhere and then that dude is gone. I read it like 5 years ago so details are fuzzy but it was a DRAG!
Now I don't think I'll read any of your recommendations (no offense but clearly we have different minds)
Brilliant
There are as many books as there are people. Find your match, read and enjoy, and if you don't like, pass it on. This is why I take reviews with a grain of salt. I don't like horror, so I don't read horror. I'm not going to read a horror book and then trash it on the internet. Great reads are in the eyes of the beholders.