When Is the Author's Big Mistake Not a Mistake?

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AnneMarble

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For those who haven't heard of this phrase before, the Author's Big Mistake (a term I gleefully swiped from Uncle Jim) is responding to a review.

But this one isn't the usual "author has tantrum about bad review" kerfuffle. In this instance, the author really has a case. Because...

She didn't complete the novel before the scheduled publication date. So when the harsh review was published, the book hadn't been written yet!!!
:Wha:

I wish I had a link. Well I do, but it's in Swedish <g>:
http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1353&a=597936&previousRenderType=6

If we have any Swedish or Swedish-reading members here, I'd love to know more about this case. :D
 

victoriastrauss

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A journalist wrote an unflattering article about Michael Crichton (who apparently has been getting attention from the Bush administration for his debunking of global warming). Crichton Tuckerized the journalist, writing him into his new book as a minor character who's a pedophile.

- Victoria
 

AnneMarble

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Carmy said:
LOL Well done Michael Crichton.
Eh. It's not like he never got a bad review before. Writers should expect bad reviews -- it comes with the territory. Besides, let's face it... sometimes the reviewers are right. (cough cough)

OTOH I do think it's funny that George Lucas secretly named a two-headed monster in Willow "Siskel and Ebert" because he was upset at their reviews. And I don't have an issue with the moviemakers who have named villains "Siskel," "Ebert," "Kael," or whatever. But I also think they'd do better by looking at their movies and wondering if the reviewer might be (gasp) right. And there's a difference between a two-headed monster named Siskel and Ebert (or a bad guy named Kael) and naming a pedophile after a reviewer you disagree with.
 

Rolling Thunder

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Add to that the obvious slander and someone besides Crichton is going to end up with a pig payday in court.
 

Willowmound

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AnneMarble said:
For those who haven't heard of this phrase before, the Author's Big Mistake (a term I gleefully swiped from Uncle Jim) is responding to a review.

But this one isn't the usual "author has tantrum about bad review" kerfuffle. In this instance, the author really has a case. Because...

She didn't complete the novel before the scheduled publication date. So when the harsh review was published, the book hadn't been written yet!!!
:Wha:

I wish I had a link. Well I do, but it's in Swedish <g>:
http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1353&a=597936&previousRenderType=6

If we have any Swedish or Swedish-reading members here, I'd love to know more about this case. :D
That's outragous.

I do read Swedish. The reviewer -- who'd butchered this book he hadn't read -- says in the article (my translation may not be terribly good):

"I had my fun with Britt-Marie Mattsson [the writer] in advance, as I dislike her so very much. But let's hope the book will be published so that I'll get the chance to butcher it properly."

:Jaw:
Excuse me? This man should be groveling, not making quips. Fired too.
 

PeeDee

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I was not at all impressed with Michael Crichton's stunt. It's really petulant. It's amusing for Stephen King to write a real person into his book as someone who gets killed by Zombies, because it was part of a fund-raiser for the CBLDF, whcih makes it okay. Crichton was just being a child. He's pretty far down on my list now, next to Clive Cussler, who is much much lower.
 

JennaGlatzer

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Willowmound said:
Excuse me? This man should be groveling, not making quips. Fired too.

I so agree. How could anyone ever trust his reviews again if he'd stoop that low? Gross.

I'm so glad you speak Swedish. I tried running the article through a translator and it was totally unintelligible.
 

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This is my translation of the webpage.

[Brackets] are phrases I'm not sure about. This is a compilation of what I recognize from other languages. I tried to make it make sense in English without changing the meaning much. I don't speak Swedish, or even read swedish, but I recognize a lot of root words from other languages I speak, so I thought I'd try to make the article available, even if its pretty much a hack job.

Author's unwritten book [torn apart.]

Now it's happened again. Judgments have [appeared] where the critic has not [bothered to read] of the [that which] he wrote about.

[There's a reference to time which I cannot understand. I believe it is equivalent to: "This just in."]

Kerstin Hallert spoke with Afton Blade when she blamed S.V.T.'s [value-frigate [I'm assuming this is some kind of department--the paper appears to have some kind of pirate theme.]] for “tame questions” before the first [copy of the book] had been sent.

Now Helsingborg Daily's critic has, moreover, of the [author] Kristian Lundberg, [put forth a critique about a book] that doesn't exist.

Britt-Marie Mattsson's detective stories “The Dread Power” existed with in Pirate Team's autumn folder with a short document report, but Mattsson had time to never to [write] the book.

Last Sunday, Kristian Lundberg had [an official] overview in Helsingborg Daily. He types: “I have read [1/50th] of the [novel]. I perhaps should not have done this”.

[A bit further] in the text he bashed Mattsson's book: “Mattsson is sly and stylish, unfortunately this isn't enough - the plot is predictable, the character's steriotypical”.

Pirate Team's Mattias's Boström says:

"[It certainly happens that] critics [flame] books, [we know this, but know we know that he's a lair.]

Helsingborg Daily's, culture manager Gunnar Bergdahl says:

"We will have a [formal] apology [for] Britt-Marie Mattsson. Kristian Lundeberg also will ask for an apology."

Kristian Lundberg tells the Swedish book trade: "I had my fun with Britt-Marie Mattsson and I hate her. But let's hope the book will be published so that I'll get the chance to [flame it] properly."

Helsingborg Daily's have taken down the article about Mattsson from their homepage. The text exists however in the paper newspaper and in a pdf file that is still downloadable.
 
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Willowmound

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Bartholomew, that was a fascinating translation! I mean that, very well done for someone who doesn't speak the language.

I don't speak it myself, per se, but I can read it. Here's a full translation (I kept Bart's heading -- it's a good translation):


Author's unwritten book torn apart.

Now it's happened again. Judgments have been passed without the critic reading that which he wrote about.

Recently, Kerstin Hallert was fired from Aftonbladet [newspaper] after having accused SVT's [Sweden's national broadcaster] election commentators of "[something] questions" prior to broadcasting the first program.

Now Helsingborg Dagblad's [a newspaper] critic, [something] crime author Kristian Lundberg, has managed the feat of critiquing a book that does not exist.

Britt-Marie Mattsson's crime [novel] "The Power of Fear" was represented by a short synopsis in Piratförlaget's [a publisher] autumn catalogue, however Mattesson never found the time to write the book.

Last Sunday, Kristian Lundberg presented an overview of crime [novels] in Helsingborgs Dagblad. He writes: "I have read some fifty of this autumn's crime novels. I shouldn't have."

Further down, he bashes Mattsson's book: "Mattsson is a solid stylist [i.e. her style is solid], unfortunately that isn't enough - the plot is predictable, the characters stereotypical."

Piratförlaget's Mattias Boström says:

"It certainly happens that critics skim books, we've felt that for some time. But this time we know how it [the critique] really came about."

Helsingborg Dagblad's culture editor, Gunnar Bergdahl, says:

"We will be giving Britt-Marie Mattsson an unconditional apology. Kristian Lundberg will also be making an apology."

Kristian Lundberg tells Svensk Bokhandel [book industry magazine]: "I had my fun with Britt-Marie Mattsson [the writer] in advance, as I dislike her so very much. But let's hope the book will be published so that I'll get the chance to butcher it properly."

Helsingborg Dagblad has removed from their website the paragraph referring to Mattsson. The text remains, however, in the paper edition, as well as in a pdf-file that is still available for download.
 
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ATP

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For the record, is it possible we can get an 'approved' or 'official' or 'final' translation?

This is dynamite.

And, to answer the OP, in this instance, I think that it most certainly is NOT a mistake to respond to the critic when a) the book synopsis is all that presently exists and b) the critic's personal feelings have been made so transparent, to the point that he has admitted to carrying this prejudice through to the as-yet unpublished book.
 
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Bartholomew

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Willowmound said:
Bartholomew, that was a fascinating translation! I mean that, very well done for someone who doesn't speak the language.

I don't speak it myself, per se, but I can read it. Here's a full translation (I kept Bart's heading -- it's a good translation):

*CHOP!*


Thank you! And I simply love what you've done with the translation! ;) It makes a lot more sense now.
 

Celia Cyanide

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PeeDee said:
I was not at all impressed with Michael Crichton's stunt. It's really petulant. It's amusing for Stephen King to write a real person into his book as someone who gets killed by Zombies, because it was part of a fund-raiser for the CBLDF, whcih makes it okay. Crichton was just being a child.

This was brought up in TIO, and I'm glad it came up in this forum, too. It's apalling, IMO. Writers may base their worst characters on people they know and hate. It's cathartic. But those characters are usually personal to the author. To use a person's real name just to publicly humiliate them is immature. The subject matter is far too disgusting to be funny. The pedophile has little bearing on the story, according to the article I read. I don't appreciate an author sticking in a character who doesn't belong there just to use his readers as tools in his personal feud.

I think it has been decided that an author responding to factual inaccuracies is accepable. And if a reviewer wrote a review before the publication date, surely that counts?
 

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I was told on good authority that here in Ireland a book was thrashed by a critic in hardback, but by the time the paperback came out, the same critic (clearly forgetting they'd reviewed it before), gave it a wonderful review!
 

aruna

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One of my books was trashed in Guyana recently. My mother was infuriated and told me to respond. I haven't even read it and I'm probably not going to.
 
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victoriastrauss

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I'm absolutely positive that the Booklist reviewer who reviewed my last two books didn't read them. The reviews aren't negative, but they're stupid, and give a completely wrong impression of the books. Did it piss me off? I have to admit, yes--not just as an author, but as a reviewer (I despise reviewers who don't carefully read the books they review, even if they hate them). Will I do or say anything about it, other than privately grousing to close friends? No. It would be childish and unprofessional. Bad, dumb, misguided, and even malicious reviews go with the territory. If you put yourself out there, you've got to be prepared for whatever comes.

- Victoria
 

AnneMarble

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Found an English Article on This

This is from an English-language Swedish paper. But I wouldn't have been able to Google it without the translations of the articles I read. Thanks for all the help. :D

Edited to Add:
The reviewer is quoted as saying that he "got worked up in advance about Britt-Marie Mattsson because I detest her so very greatly. But let's hope the book is published so I get the chance to say it for real."
:crazy:
 
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Willowmound

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AnneMarble said:
http://www.thelocal.se/5818/20061215/
The reviewer is quoted as saying that he "got worked up in advance about Britt-Marie Mattsson because I detest her so very greatly. But let's hope the book is published so I get the chance to say it for real."
:crazy:

Yeah, that's a slightly better translation than mine :)
 

PeeDee

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Celia Cyanide said:
This was brought up in TIO, and I'm glad it came up in this forum, too. It's apalling, IMO. Writers may base their worst characters on people they know and hate. It's cathartic. But those characters are usually personal to the author. To use a person's real name just to publicly humiliate them is immature. The subject matter is far too disgusting to be funny. The pedophile has little bearing on the story, according to the article I read. I don't appreciate an author sticking in a character who doesn't belong there just to use his readers as tools in his personal feud.
I think it has been decided that an author responding to factual inaccuracies is accepable. And if a reviewer wrote a review before the publication date, surely that counts?

I wouldn't even respond for factual fallacies. Maybe if I maintained a blog, or something of the sort, and someone wrote in and mentioned it. Then I might. Otherwise, just let people say what they want to say. Why take it personally? I don't throw a fit when someone doesn't listen to the same music as me, so why should I blow a gasket just because they don't like the same books as I do? Even if it happens to be my book?

Maybe they'll like the next thing I write. Maybe not. Mostly, it's out of my hands, I just have to write the next thing.

(this, in regards to Michael Crichton. The Swedish reviewier is on his own.)
 

ATP

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I think it interesting that the majority of commentators here haven't responded to Anne Marble's post and question. Or,have done so by answering in relation to Michael Crichton (no bearing on the OP), or in general, not responding to critics per se (a previous thread).

Anne has given notice of something particularly important. To reiterate:

- the said Swedish critic/ reviewer made caustic comments about a
book synopsis (the book is, apparently, still being written)

- the same said Swedish critic/ reviewer has made his prejudices so
transparent as to indicate that the same view will be carried over to the
book when it has finished being written and published.

Anne's question via the thread title was when is the ABM not a ABM? While the reviewing 'profession' is generally held in as high esteem as a snakeoil salesman, this Swedish reviewer has not only taken things to a new low, he is positively a cancer. Not only within the reviewing 'profession', but the publishing industry as a whole - domestically and internationally.

His conduct has gone far beyond the generalised miserable attitudes of caustic reviewers or those who 'haven't taken the time to read the book carefully'. I say to you again, he is a positive cancer to writers and reviewers alike. I say that like all cancers that can be found in time, he should be quickly and judiciously excised. I call on the members here to make their views known in the strongest manner to the Swedish publisher, and call for the reviewers immediate sacking.

ETA:

Newspaper carrying the original article: Helsingborg Dagblad
Reviewer/critic: Kristian Lundberg
Newspaper website: http://hd.se/
Culture Editor and Lundberg's boss:
Gunnar Bergdahl - [email protected]
 
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JennaGlatzer

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You know, that's not a bad idea. Except that most of us don't speak Swedish. ;)

Willowmound, I'd be glad to e-mail the editor of that paper if you feel like translating this (or something close to it) for me:

It's inexcusable for your reviewer Kristian Lundberg to have criticized a book he has not read. I hope you will take the appropriate action and fire this reviewer; how can your readers ever trust him again, knowing he would let his vindictiveness get in the way of doing his job?
 

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Willow, How'd I do? :D

Den är oförlåtlig för din recensent Kristian Lundberg att ha kritiserat en bok som han inte har läst. Jag hoppas dig skar taken lämplig och avfyrar denna recensent. Hur kan dina avläsare någonsin lita på honom igen och att veta att han skade. At hans oförsonlig få i långt av att göra hans jobb?

(I wouldn't use this. I'm pretty sure its incoherent. But I had fun doing it.)
 

Willowmound

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Jenna, most Swedes speak English. English is a primary school subject in all Scandinavian countries. Just email them.

I'm afraid I wouldn't know how to translate anything into Swedish. I'm Norwegian. Once upon a time our languages were the same (1000 years ago or so). They're still similar enough for a speaker of either to comprehend the other. It doesn't mean I can actually make Swedish sentences. I'd translate into Norwegian for you (which a Swede would understand), but as I said, they all speak English. :)

ATP, I'm afraid Mr. Lundberg hasn't taken anything to a 'new low'. When I got my journalism degree, we did as part of it some course work in reviewing. While never stated explicitly, it was more than hinted at that there were ways in which the processs could be...umm...sped up.
 

Willowmound

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Bartholomew said:
Willow, How'd I do? :D

Den är oförlåtlig för din recensent Kristian Lundberg att ha kritiserat en bok som han inte har läst. Jag hoppas dig skar taken lämplig och avfyrar denna recensent. Hur kan dina avläsare någonsin lita på honom igen och att veta att han skade. At hans oförsonlig få i långt av att göra hans jobb?
(I wouldn't use this. I'm pretty sure its incoherent. But I had fun doing it.)
Haha! Made me laugh. But in an impressed sort of way.

As I've stated above, I'm not Swedish.

That said, your first sentence looks 100% correct. Well done. The second one, not so much. :)

I like the way you have translated 'fire' directly. You're pretty much asking that the reviewer be fired from a cannon or a very large gun. And why not? He certainly deserves it!

'Avläsare' in the next sentence should be 'läsare'. After 'och' everything pretty much comes apart, sorry :)

Which languages do you actually speak?
 
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