Alan
asked
Chris Pavone:
Do you read and learn from reviews by "ordinary" readers e.g. GR, Amazon? If so, can you share a lesson learned?
Chris Pavone
The anonymity of the internet appears to be an irresistible temptation for some angry or disappointed or ignorant people to foist their disapproval on the world. It makes me unhappy to read any of this vitriol directed at me; makes me despair of a world in which people are so eager to indulge the ugly impulse to reach out across the ether to insult strangers, simply because they can.
I do frequently read consumer reviews of books (as well as restaurants, hotels, etc.) that are not my own, books in which I’m not emotionally invested. When it's not my work, I can more easily ignore the few crazies, and I value the opinions of a vast majority of the others. But I’ve discovered that the only way for me to ignore the spiteful reader reviews of my own books is to ignore all reader reviews.
I do read the professional reviews, which are bound by codes of ethics and decorum and, well, professionalism. I think the de-professionalization of the media is a corrosive influence on our civilization (this is one of the themes of The Accident), and it can certainly corrode my mood if I allow it in. So I don’t.
I do frequently read consumer reviews of books (as well as restaurants, hotels, etc.) that are not my own, books in which I’m not emotionally invested. When it's not my work, I can more easily ignore the few crazies, and I value the opinions of a vast majority of the others. But I’ve discovered that the only way for me to ignore the spiteful reader reviews of my own books is to ignore all reader reviews.
I do read the professional reviews, which are bound by codes of ethics and decorum and, well, professionalism. I think the de-professionalization of the media is a corrosive influence on our civilization (this is one of the themes of The Accident), and it can certainly corrode my mood if I allow it in. So I don’t.
More Answered Questions
Liz
asked
Chris Pavone:
My book club read The Expats as our August 2014 selection. About half-way through the novel there is a scene where the music “Hotel California" is playing in the background, with its ominous lyrics “you can never leave.” We recalled this scene at the end of the book, wondering if any of the characters could successfully “leave”. While the question is left intriguingly open, any thoughts you'd be willing to share?
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