Book Reviews and Authors

In Oscar Wilde’s letter to the editor of the Scots Observer on August 13, 1890, he writes that “If a man sees the artistic beauty of a thing, he will probably care very little for its ethical import. If his temperament is more susceptible to ethical than to aesthetic influences, he will be blind to questions of style, treatment, and the like…You may ask me, sir, why I should care to have the ethical beauty of my story recognized. I answer, simply because it exists, because the thing is there.” 

This letter was in regard to Wilde’s publication, The Picture of Dorian Gray. While the prose is beautifully crafted and its narrative compelling, many readers are well-aware of the scandal this book met upon release. Dorian Gray did not praise or give a “perfect moral model” of the upper middle-class gentleman that others are expected to emulate.

If a book’s reader feels that the writing is beautiful, has positive memories associated with that book, they might not be easily swayed by an ethical argument against it. The opposite, Wilde says, is also true. If a book’s reader is looking for perfectly ethical characters, a particular message, its prose and style won’t be as important to them.

The following statements will be true for a book’s readership.

The audience of a book will change with what the book is seen to advocate for.

Should a protagonist of a novel be morally questionable, and if morally questionable actions face no reflection, consequence, or conversation, that will change some readers’ perspectives. 

The audience of a book will change with its narrative style and the nature of its prose.

If a book is written using an experimental style, if text is redacted, if a book’s organization is not a strict progression from beginning to end, that will change some readers’ perspectives.

Oscar Wilde famously believed that art should be appreciated on its own merit, art for art’s sake. More simply, art should be appreciated for the art that it is regardless of what that art reflects. Art needs no justification nor does it need to serve a particular cause.

That sounds great in theory, but people consistently impress themselves upon or see themselves reflected in the art they consume. Once art leaves the hands of its creator, it takes its place in front of its audience. The art becomes a representation of times, places, and people.

In the nineteenth century [and parts of the twentieth century] the book review changed the relationship between readers and printed media. That relationship between author and reviewer would, sometimes, necessitate a response. A book review in a newspaper, for example, could be pivotal in the career of an author and could shape consumers’ understanding of an author’s work.

Reviews still do that, but more readers and publications are reviewing books than ever before. If you are a reader, there’s a strong chance that there are reviewers on a platform whose tastes match yours.

If you’re an author, you can get your book reviewed by professionals and people with strong platforms.

That is to say, the landscape of the book review has changed and the etiquette of the book review has changed with it. 

On Book Reviews

Reviews can be wrong, unfair, and sometimes harmful. These reviews should be watched out for and reported when necessary. However, there is a difference between a reviewer who gave a harmful review and a reviewer who didn’t like an author’s book. 

Book reviews are intended for consumers. Sometimes, reviewers attempt to involve the author by tagging them on social media. Do not do this. Do not tag the author in your online book review. Engage with other readers, absolutely. Do. Not. Tag. The. Author.

Authors, engaging with reviewers might be tempting, but there are ways to do so in a way that elevates your career and craft while helping you to maintain a professional distance. Also, yes, there is a difference between diving into the review space and engaging with criticism.

If you are at a book signing, ask questions, be respectful. Some authors make appearances at book clubs, which is a great opportunity to talk about writers’ craft and ask questions about writing.

Let’s say that a reviewer writes something to this effect on something like Goodreads or another social media site:

“This book was compared to another book I liked, so I thought I would try it. I expected something very different, and this wasn’t for me. I didn’t like the slow start, and some of the characters felt very one-dimensional to me, but I don’t think they should have been.”

It can sting if someone feels that way about your work, but as an author, even if you frequent online forums and come across this by chance, this review was not intended for you. It was intended for consumers.

If you are an author and you want to have your book reviewed professionally, there are beta readers, industry professionals, and publications. Engaging in that way can help an author’s credibility and can give authors tools for future writing. I am not going to tell authors to ignore criticism or to ignore how they feel about a particular review. That’s not realistic. Ideally, authors would not engage in their books’ reviews [or go through them] unless they are professional reviews that are meant for authors or authors and consumers. Since reviews are so easily accessible, not everyone can be expected to agree with or heed that advice.

However, we can all stand to be more vigilant.

1.) A harmful book review is one that is deliberately malicious and harmful to the author and readers. It can be intentionally misleading or even abusive. Understand the difference between a review that is not favorable, a review that is poorly constructed, and a review that is directly harmful.

2.) Understand that the review space is vast and a far cry from the space it was when Oscar Wilde wrote his response to the Scots Observer. For every reviewer that will give something misinformed, there are several more who are willing and able to give something more constructive.

3.) As an author, understand that your readership can and will change based on your story, your prose, and your actions.

4.) Engaging productively with criticism from collaborators (editors, beta readers, etc.) and professional reviewers is not meant to be discouraging and can be helpful moving forward. There will always be room for improvement.

5.) Remember that you know your story best, but people will impress themselves upon it and interact with it in ways you might not have intended.

Reviews have and will always exist, but the review space has changed drastically over time. Readers will use reviews to make decisions about what interests them, but that does not mean your book’s reputation is meant to suffer or that you will not have an audience.

When responding to reviews, Oscar Wilde was navigating his space as an author in a way that today’s authors no longer need to. We do, however, have more to learn from him, his work, and his impact.

Remember the past. Take from it. Prepare for the future.

So, authors, you have your story. Your audience is waiting. Write for yourself and for them.

If you have any questions about the book review space or anything at all, let’s talk, and happy writing!