What's the point of author-bashing?

BlueLucario · May 27, 2009

What's the point of author/book-bashing?

I've been observing everyone's opinions for a while. On Meyer, and Dan Brown. But I'm starting to think that this bashing stuff is pointless. I'm not sticking up for anyone, but Meyer and Brown had things that possibly no one here could accomplish. And maybe we should learn from them? I decided to keep my opinions to myself for a while until I could hear everyone's views about someone.

What's the point of bashing certain authors if people have different tastes? Why should we bash them when they have a mass audience and we don't?

Why bash readers for having different tastes?

Shadow_Ferret · May 27, 2009

Most author bashing is simply a case of sour grapes.

Some people are just jealous of the author's success and try to tear them down in a pathetic attempt at building themselves up.

scarletpeaches · May 27, 2009

Absolute codswallop.

Not liking someone's work is not the same as not liking them, or being jealous.

I'm sick to death of accusations of jealousy. You're allowed to not like certain books. You're allowed to notice their faults. Why anyone would be jealous of an author they think can't write, I don't know.

If I was jealous of success I'd rip into Wally Lamb, Kazuo Ishiguro, Donna Tartt. I don't. Why? Because I'm not jealous of success. I congratulate those who work towards it and deserve it.

Badly written books anger me. If you think this makes me jealous of success, so be it, but you (you in general, not you specifically) have yet to come up for an explanation of why those who diss certain authors will then go on to congratulate more talented folk and wish them well.

If it was professional envy, all success would garner resentment.

BlueLucario · May 27, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
Absolute codswallop.

Not liking someone's work is not the same as not liking them, or being jealous.

I'm sick to death of accusations of jealousy. You're allowed to not like certain books. You're allowed to notice their faults. Why anyone would be jealous of an author they think can't write, I don't know.

If I was jealous of success I'd rip into Wally Lamb, Kazuo Ishiguro, Donna Tartt. I don't. Why? Because I'm not jealous of success. I congratulate those who work towards it and deserve it.

Badly written books anger me. If you think this makes me jealous of success, so be it, but you (you in general, not you specifically) have yet to come up for an explanation of why those who diss certain authors will then go on to congratulate more talented folk and wish them well.

If it was professional envy, all success would garner resentment.

I think SP makes a point.

Shadow_Ferret · May 27, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
If I was jealous of success I'd rip into Wally Lamb, Kazuo Ishiguro, Donna Tartt.

Who?

scarletpeaches · May 27, 2009

BlueLucario said:
I think SP makes a point.

I should clarify most of what I see on AW is book-bashing, not author-bashing. I've often said, if I spend money buying a book and time reading it, you're damn right I'm gonna get me an opinion on it.

M.R.J. Le Blanc · May 27, 2009

There's bashing, and then there's not liking works. In the case of Meyer, me personally I hate her books. And yes I'm reading them (just finished New Moon literally minutes ago). Her characters are very hard to identify with, and I found I couldn't sympathize with them. I could give you a great deal of other reasons why I think the books are terrible. Or maybe teenage wangst isn't my thing, because that's what really rules her books. Teenage drama. But I don't hate Meyer. I'm not jealous of her success. Would I like to be that successful? Of course, who wouldn't. But I dislike her books because of her books, and not her. YA is not her genre in my opinion, but I think she would have done better with historical romance with the language she uses. I'm allowed to hate her books as much as I'm allowed to enjoy Guy Gavriel Kay and the others on my bookshelf, and that doesn't make me an author basher because I choose to voice what books I don't like and why.

If I were bashing her, I'd be talking about what a b*tch she is and how it's not fair she's so rich and successful when my stories are clearly better than hers

(lighthearted nature here, I'm attempting to be funny)

Soccer Mom · May 27, 2009

Must we do this again? By the very nature of it, calling a thread "author bashing" starts off with a moral judgment. Critical discussion of another author's work has merit. Simply "bashing" away doesn't.

If you want to discuss an author, start a thread in the book club. I"m locking this thread before it devolves.

ETA: on further consideration, I'm going to unlock and allow discussion, but let's keep things civil. We have this debate about once a month around here and it frequently ends up ugly. The rule around here is to respect your fellow author. If this turns into a pile on of any sort, I'll lock again.

brokenfingers · May 27, 2009

I can't speak for anyone else, but I personally find author-bashing only enjoyable at book signings.

You should see them run after a couple of swats.

virtue_summer · May 27, 2009

I have major issues with author bashing myself. I have no problem with someone saying they disliked a book. That's a personal opinion on the work and that's fine. I do have problems when they act as though their own dislike of the book means others aren't allowed to like it, or as if the author should be tied to the bumper of a car and dragged down the street for writing a book that (gasp!) not everyone liked.

I think it's a case of self importance. I'm sorry but that's how it appears to me, as if there's an assumption by the critic that if they don't like something their opinion rises above all others. They seem angry because the publishing industry isn't conforming to their own personal standards of writing. Personally I accept that there are going to be books out there that I dislike, even ones I hate. I may not understand why everything is published, but I don't begrudge the author their success if other people like it enough to buy it. It's like music. My brother and I don't listen to the same music. Some of his music I think is just ridiculous. But I don't bash it. I just accept that it's not to my taste, which is fine. There's other stuff out there that is.

BlueLucario · May 27, 2009

Soccer Mom said:
Must we do this again? By the very nature of it, calling a thread "author bashing" starts off with a moral judgment. Critical discussion of another author's work has merit. Simply "bashing" away doesn't.

If you want to discuss an author, start a thread in the book club. I"m locking this thread before it devolves.

ETA: on further consideration, I'm going to unlock and allow discussion, but let's keep things civil. We have this debate about once a month around here and it frequently ends up ugly. The rule around here is to respect your fellow author. If this turns into a pile on of any sort, I'll lock again.

I'm sorry about this. Ans what do you mean by "again"?

dnic · May 27, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
I should clarify most of what I see on AW is book-bashing, not author-bashing.

Absolutely agreed. It's not about the person. It's about their work. There's something hugely wrong if the attacks turn on the writer as a person. But the moment their books appears on the shelves (virtual or otherwise), they're making it available for critique. It's inevitable and expected.

BlueLucario · May 27, 2009

Perhaps I titled this thread wrong.

My apologies.

Brindle Chase · May 27, 2009

I think some of it is jealousy. However, not all. Any author bashing is just bullying, regardless of the rationale behind it. Most of the authors I have seen bashed on this site, are extremely successful authors, but maybe not considered great writers and there is a difference. Bashing them however, is childish, pointless. Its all in the delivery however. Thankfully, I see very little of it here. There is alot of undertones of it, but usually it doesnt disolve into outright bashing, just veiled hints. *lol*

My opinion:

Its one thing to say, I don't like So and So's writing style, than it is to say, So and So sucks, they cant write for crap! Is it a valid opinion? Yes, but it is bullying. Its unprofessional and its a reflection of he or she who wrote said bashing. Take it for what its worth. Writers who bash other writers carry very little credibility in my opinion. I also won't buy the books of authors who make it a point to trash on their peers.

If I were an agent or editor, I wouldn't work with authors who trash on others, for fear of their toxic public image tarnishing my own. That's my take on it.

icerose · May 27, 2009

If I don't like a book I figure either it was poorly written or not written for me in mind as the audience. If it's published it's most likely not written for me. I make a mental note to avoid this writer in the future and move on. Problem solved. I do admit to getting tired of seeing thread after thread of how horrible such and such successful book is.

happywritermom · May 27, 2009

I am guilty of negative reviews. I didn't like Year of Fog even though I like the writer. In fact, I was so bothered by it that I reviewed it on my Web site blog, something I rarely do. I hope, however, that I achieve a constructive balance. I just really felt that the writer, with her obvious talent, could have done so much better and that she had fallen prey to the publisher's (or public's) demand for another novel, fast.

Bashing, to me, is when people publicly reject a work simply because they don't like the genre or the fact that the particular book, as a non-literary work, has achieved popularity.

That kind of negativity is usually fueled by envy.

aadams73 · May 27, 2009

I'm reading something right now that I'm finding woefully average. The dialogue is far from being up to snuff and at times doesn't make sense to me. However, it's getting rave reviews and people are talking about how funny it is. I haven't laughed yet.

What's my point? I've forgotten. But I did have one, I swear.

ETA: The author seems like a lovely and cheerful woman. But her book just isn't for me.

Don Allen · May 27, 2009

Geeze, I just do it cause its fun....

aadams73 · May 27, 2009

Don Allen said:
Geeze, I just do it cause its fun....

If you bash them in exactly the right spot, their heads pop like ripe watermelons.

Don Allen · May 27, 2009

aadams73 said:
If you bash them in exactly the right spot, their heads pop like ripe watermelons.

LOL! You betcha!!!!

BlueLucario · May 27, 2009

Shadow_Ferret said:
Most author bashing is simply a case of sour grapes.

Some people are just jealous of the author's success and try to tear them down in a pathetic attempt at building themselves up.

That doesn't make sense. Sour grapes from over 30 people? Over 40 threads locked for sour grapes and bashing?

Is that even possible?

BlueLucario · May 27, 2009

I'm sorry. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on. I learn from the authors I read about, good or bad.

M.R.J. Le Blanc · May 27, 2009

Well she is right; author-bashing is usually a case of sour grapes. Maybe 30 people got together because they want to bash a certain author.

I think the point trying to be made here, is that author-bashing doesn't really happen so much on this board. It's more along the lines of criticism.

BlueLucario · May 27, 2009

So it's constructive criticism, is it? But still what is the point of doing that? The successful book had a bigger audience than we do, so why critique it? It's like criticizing Bill Gates for not making the perfect computer.

icerose · May 27, 2009

Because writers are opinionated snots? (I am definitely one of them.)

What's the point of author-bashing?

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