Why Someone Complained About The Review You Posted to Goodreads
Their reason wasn’t as complicated as they made it sound.
After graduating college in 2002, I began keeping a list of all the books I read cover-to-cover. The list began on a sheet of notebook paper, and, as it grew, I transferred the information onto Goodreads (which hadn’t yet been bought by Amazon). By now, I’ve logged over 1,600 titles.
Usually, I read books I expect to like, and I give them positive reviews. Occasionally, I read a book I dislike, a reaction that may be expected or unexpected to me. I make a pointed comment (or several) that at least reveals, and perhaps justifies, where I’m coming from. Negative reviews, however, tend to draw negative comments.
Why might someone dislike someone else’s online review?
I’m not talking about a literary review in a newspaper or magazine, one for which the reviewer is paid. Nor am I talking about the work of students or professional academics that has to conform to certain standards or customs. I’m talking about what is basically an Internet comment box on a social media site like Goodreads, or perhaps a personal blog, where individuals (with or without using their real names) may post (or not post) anything they choose. Why would someone judge that kind of book review, and…
