John Scalzi and Justine Larbalestier are talking about “owning” your one star reviews on Amazon. I went to go look mine up, only to discover that, to my shock, I don’t have any one star reviews on Amazon. Given the angst I’ve felt over Amazon reviews in the past, I was sure that some of them had to be one star. No, apparently only two stars. I have my fair share of those.(Don’t worry, though, I have plenty of one star reviews on Goodreads!)
Yet none of them, I think, can possibly top the one I just received for Rampant. A snippet of its (two star) fabulosity:
“I felt as if the author is very self-impressed and narcissistic. Which I guess is fine until it permeates the writing. If you read the jacket cover – all about how wonderful and adventurous she is – and then realize she’s attempted to weave in the myth of Diana goddess of the hunt and that her name is Diana….well too much self homage for me. Nothing redeems this insipid tale.”
Finally, someone calls me out for making the magic system in my book something that was invented by a goddess whose name is the same as mine. I was wondering when that would happen.
Justine’s post is all about Jane Austen’s one star Amazon reviews for Pride & Prejudice. I haven’t read through them, but I sincerely hope that someone calls that chick out for naming her most beautiful Bennett sister Jane, not to mention that annoyingly perfect Jane Fairfax from Emma.
March 8th, 2010 at 10:36 am
I actually saw that review just before coming here, and I have to say, it cracked me up. I could understand it if you’d named Astrid Diana, but now all literature/mythology involving someone of the same name as you is off-limits? Good to know.
*shakes head* Ah, well, everyone’s entitled to his or her own opinion. Certainly won’t stop me from buying Ascendant, though!
March 8th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Do people realize how when they attack someone who they don’t even know they just sound like a spoiled jealous third grader? I never listen to reviews were the person is obviously an irrational person.
March 8th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Seriously, Diana–how DARE you?
It’s high time this came to light!
March 8th, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Oooh, I hope this person gets a copy of my book, MAKING WAVES, since I based my mythology on the story of Leto and Zeus.
Self-homage…I love it!
March 8th, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Such incisive criticism. I’m so glad you were called on that. It’s high time we authors stopped with the boasting in our bios. In future we should all write honest bios: “Justine Larbaleastier is a depressed, neurotic writer type who refuses to share mangosteens with anyone.”
Clearly that’s much more helpful to a reader than boasting about the husbands/wives/children/pets we’ve acquired, the other books we’ve written, the bestseller lists we’ve been on, the prizes we’ve won, etc etc.
(That review is hilarious.)