Why you should review books...

This will sound self serving but stick with me because this really isn't about an author's desire to get more reviews for his books.
It's about that small percentage of people who actually pick up a book and read it.
It's about some of the reasons why they should review those books.
Simply put, doing so will enrich your reading experience and will also, probably, make it more enjoyable.
The reason: If you plan to review a book you'll read it more carefully. You'll take the time to know the characters, follow the narrative, examine the plot, and admire (or hate) the writer's style.
But, you might say, I do that anyway.
The question is, do you really?
Chances are the answer to that is "no."
Instead, it's much more likely that you'll blaze through a book while you're trying to cram yet one more thing into the next 24 hours. You'll skip a chapter or two, gloss over a few pages that might contain important insights into the minds of the characters but which, for one reason or another, don't seem to be interesting.
Why is that?
If you're an American reader - and, sadly, there are precious few of them - you've been raised on television programs in which, for example, complex crimes are committed and solved within roughly 48 minutes.
You've been raised in a culture that puts a higher value on brevity than it does on content and background. We weren't taught to appreciate nuance, shading, or motivation.
Instead, just like the fictional Sgt. Joe Friday of "Dragnet" fame, we were raised with the idea that story doesn't matter.
"Just the facts, ma'am," Friday intoned week after week to his television audience.
What he was really saying is that motivation isn't important; that circumstances don't count.
He was saying that human beings - arguably the most complex and complicated life forms on the planet - can be reduced to the ones and zeros of a computer program.
And now that we live in a digital world, that mistaken belief has become all but sacred text.
Twitter, Instagram, and many other forms of social media put limits on the amount of story you can tell, for example. Instead, they want you to write what amounts to a headline and then provide your cyber audience with a link to a longer article that you hope someone will actually click on and then read.
But I'm here to tell you that brevity is not natural when it comes to human beings and their need for context.
Their need for storytelling.
The men and women who painted on cave walls understood that need. They understood at some level that it was/is important to create a narrative and not just state the bald fact that a Mammoth was killed.
How was it killed? How many hunters did it take to kill it? Were any hunters injured or killed in the pursuit of the animal? How many days did it take for the hunt to be successful?
The answers to these questions can be found on cave walls across Europe.
It comes down to this: Life is more complicated than a series of bullet points and to fully appreciate that fact we need stories.
And, just as we need stories, we need to read them carefully to understand what the writer is trying to tell us about the human condition.
So, my advice to you is to write reviews of the books that you've read, or at least to read them as though you were actually going to take the time to review them.
You'll get more value from the books you read if you do.
And that, as Joe Friday might have said, "is just a fact, ma'am."

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KCABGK
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Published on February 04, 2019 04:36
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message 1: by P.A. (new)

P.A. Rudders An excellent summary of the benefits of writing a book review, and not just for the author, but the reader too!


message 2: by Rebecca (new)

Rebecca Wonderful thoughts. It's too true that people want to breeze through life and everything in it. I read too many comments about stories being "too slow" because they build up the characters, place, or whatever else the reader deems is too slow. Granted, these parts of the story shouldn't be info dumps, but all stories don't have to "get to the action" on the first page or first paragraph. Some stories are ones you want to cozy up to and get to know the people and place.

Another thought that hit home was your comment:

"He was saying that human beings - arguably the most complex and complicated life forms on the planet - can be reduced to the ones and zeros of a computer program."

My thought isn't related to reviews, but how the business world treats so many employees these days. Does the term "Human Resources" bother you? It should. We are "people," not "resources" to be discarded at whim. That's my short stand on the soapbox. ;)


message 3: by Sarah (new)

Sarah Stuart I've always made a point of reviewing books I read, but since I started doing it for Readers' Favorite I find I read more carefully, knowing I must analyse it fairly and write a minimum of 250 words, and, exactly as Mike says, I get a lot more enjoyment out of the story.


message 4: by Amber (new)

Amber Williams Sounds like reviewing books will improve my reading comprehension. I sought to participate to get to know the readers. They're so passionate about the characters and get incredibly upset with some plots. It makes me realize how whole heartedly I've embrased breivity. I'm conclusionary about life. It's time to slow down, listen for the quiet music. Change involves growing pains but a, gotta plow forward like a jet in the wind.


message 5: by Mike (new)

Mike Billington It's remarkable how passionate many readers are about characters in novels... I've had some really interesting discussions about main characters but what was surprising to me was how many discussions I've gotten into with readers about secondary characters as well...


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