by Carla Douglas
The language around books and reading is changing. Here's one example: reviews=recommendations=ratings
When Amazon bought Goodreads this past spring there was a predictable media flap accompanied by speculation over why and how this happened and what it will mean. The bit I fastened on in this discussion was in a piece by David Vinjamuri in Forbes, in which he outlines nicely not only how Amazon will profit from the acquisition, but also how it might be good for readers and the book business as well.
What caught my eye in Vinjamuri’s article was the point he
makes that Goodreads benefits Amazon by providing access to credible reviews. Amazon,
he reminds us, has been plagued with review fraud issues; Goodreads reviewers
are tied to a social profile, and this in combination with more and more varied
reviews on Goodreads makes them valuable to readers.
Yes, I thought. Although I haven't paid much attention to reviews
on either site, my impression has been that Goodreads offers fairly considered
and balanced observations, while Amazon, more often, offers either
blatant adoration of a book or a flippant rejection, all in one sentence.
At least that was my impression. I wondered if Amazon’s
acquisition would change this. But first, I needed to find out if I was right: does
Goodreads offer something better than Amazon? Do Goodreads reviews provide the
reader with a more balanced, critical view?
The short answer? Well, not really. Because Goodreads “reviews” aren’t really reviews but recommendations, and the structure of the platform encourages any and all to contribute their opinions, considered or not.
Here is some of what I found. First, I learned that my
opinion of Amazon’s customer reviews was not really supported by what I found
on the site. Yes, there are one- and two-sentence blurbs that either trash a
book or proclaim it to be the best ever written. Most often, these extremist
declarations are all about the reader: “I looooovvvvvvved this book! YYY” or “I have never been so bored.” These
kinds of comments tell us little about the books in question.
On the whole, however, I found that most Amazon customer
reviews aim to provide readers with a reason to either read a book or pass it
over. And, many of the reviews I looked at were three or more paragraphs of well-supported
argument. Not at all what I was expecting – this landscape is changing, and I
haven’t kept up.
At Goodreads, the first review I looked at consisted of one
sentence: “Me after finishing [book X],” followed by a picture of a child
weeping uncontrollably. Not really a critical appraisal. In my short
investigation, what I found on Goodreads, however, was not much different than
what’s offered up at Amazon: opinions about why someone liked or didn’t
like a book and whether they would recommend it to others. Some readers like to
compare a book to others by the same author or to books by different authors but
with similar themes. These are conversations about books, like the
discussions you might find in a 7th or 8th grade English
class.
Or, more to the point, they are conversations people have on
social media, because online review forums are
social media. Here is another area where I haven't been paying close enough attention. Many, including Vinjamuri in the Forbes article, are quick to point out that Goodreads is a social
network, valuable to booksellers and publishers for the information it provides about what readers like. And the social aspect of reading is something
that app developers are exploiting as well – Readmill
and Kindle are just two reading apps that
allow you to easily share passages of text.
Customer reviews on Amazon are similarly part of a
conversation between readers – not unlike the sometimes caustic conversations
that take place in the comments sections of online newspapers. Amazon’s
customer reviews aren’t reviews either, but opinions and recommendations – and sometimes,
just plain rants. They are all part of a great big online book club.
Which brings me back to my earlier point – the definition of
review has changed. If you are looking for more than a description of a book
and advice about whether or not to read it, Goodreads and Amazon will
disappoint. To answer my original question – there is not that much difference
between an Amazon customer review and one from Goodreads.
Coincidentally, on June 27, the day I sat down to write this
post, I discovered (to my delight) that Porter
Anderson was writing on the same topic in Writing on the Ether: Let’s Review Criticism. He provides crucial
background information about when the culture business flattened out and became
more about entertainment.
Think of the “thumbs up, thumbs down” rating system, which first appeared in theatre reviews in the ‘90s and marked the beginning of this shift. These are the “likes” and “dislikes” of Facebook. Wouldn’t we all rather just talk about stuff and not have to think critically about it? Give me the short answer – thumbs up or thumbs down?
Analysis and criticism used to be part of this conversation.
When I set out to compare Amazon and Goodreads, I expected to discuss where
they fit in the online review. Where have analysis and criticism gone? In his
post, Anderson quotes literary critic Bethanne Patrick on the absence of
criticism in the new digital culture:
This isn’t necessarily a problem for publishers. Publishing is a business, not an arts collective. This is a problem for authors and readers. If we want to have a balanced and literate literary culture, we have to be ready to name good books and bad books—and even to name the good and the bad within a single book, which is what the best book critics do on a regular basis.
Writers invest so much
of themselves in the books they write: is it fair to let their books be carelessly
tossed about on Amazon and Goodreads? Authors and their readers deserve better – a language
with which to examine, discuss and appreciate their work more deeply.
Watch this space for future posts about Amazon and Goodreads, where I’ll explore some of these questions:
- What is a review?
- What is the difference between a review and criticism?
- What are the rules about reviewing books on Goodreads and Amazon?
- How is Amazon like a casino?
- What do readers want?
- What do authors want?
- Who benefits from activity on Goodreads and Amazon? How do they benefit?
In the meantime, I encourage you to read Anderson’s
post, Let’s
Review Criticism. He outlines what’s at stake so much better than I can,
and he raises questions about culture and entertainment that we aren’t pausing
to ask.
I am submitting this post anonymously because I do not want to attract the attention of book review trolls.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that the basic concept of open reader review of books is flawed. It is subject to abuse: anyone can say anything they like about any book they wish at no cost to themselves. It comes down to honesty. A work by a dishonest author with a lot of dishonest friends might get pumped up by fake positive reviews, while the same crew might denigrate a rival work however good it is.
If an element of qualification for reviewers is added, so their own reputations are on the line if they go badly wrong too often, those reviewers will acquire the same make-or-break powers that authors faced with assessors in big publishing houses: back to square one.
It may be better if the reader review system was abandoned altogether, putting dishonest reviewers out of business. That way, readers would decide for themselves by trial and error who wrote what they liked. They would spread the word about a book on social media and by word of mouth more or less in proportion to the quality (in terms of buy-ability) of the book.
Unfortunately, reader reviews will always be subject to abuse. It is like those hotel or restaurant reviews that could well be employees or friends pumping up the reviews. You can guess which are honest opinions, but you may be wrong. And some bad reviews have more to do with guests being peeved over trivial things and trashing the hotel or restaurant. You look at any reviews as simply opinions to be taken with a grain of salt
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, Douglas. I agree -- and it's frustrating, because some of the reviews on all the sites you mention are legitimate and sincere. But even some of the legitimate reviews are so short on details and balanced consideration that they don't offer enough to judge a book on. I wonder how many readers rely on reviews to choose their next book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for weighing in,
Carla