The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing

Book Details

Discerning Reader Editorial Review

Reviewed 07/05/2010 by John Bird.

Recommended. Helpful and clear resource on recent developments in the world of book reviewing.

The increase in Internet use has naturally resulted in an increase of online book reviews. Whether professionals posting to online journals, novices posting to blogs, or beginners posting one-liners ("Hated it!!!") on Amazon, it seems that anyone who reads has a hand in reviewing. And with publishers offering free books to bloggers in exchange for reviews, there is a growing incentive to write them. Unfortunately, writing a good book review doesn’t come naturally. The quality has not kept up with the quantity.

How does one become a better reviewer? The most common advice is to "write lots of reviews." But we need more than that. Some of us need good, solid instruction. Otherwise, we may just write lots of bad reviews. When it comes to review writing, there's not much instruction to be found. Mayra Calvani and Anne K. Edwards, both experienced authors and reviewers, have helped to fill that void with The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing.

Part one of this three-part book, "The Art of Reviewing," contains 25 short chapters that deal with the actual writing of book reviews. These chapters quickly get to the point, reminding one of a series of blog posts put together in no particular order:

• How to Write a Book Review
• The Star System: Rating Books
• How a Review Differs from a Book Report, Critique, or a Press Release
• The Absolute Don'ts (or Signs of an Amateur)
• What if a Book is Terrible?

Part two examines the influence of book reviews, while part three lists various resources, such as review sites and publications, for the reviewer.

According to the authors, honesty is essential in review writing. A reviewer's main responsibility is to the reader who may base their decision to buy a book (or not) on a review. The authors also plead for reviews that are clearly written: "Use words that all readers can understand. Keep the sentences short and straightforward. Do not try to be obtuse by using references with which the average person wouldn’t be familiar." Besides the tidbits of wisdom, the authors also give complete examples of different types of reviews: positive, negative, fiction, non-fiction, and more.

It seems that The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing covers every imaginable aspect of the craft. There is even a chapter dedicated to the "controversy" of whether or not bloggers are real reviewers. If you have questions about writing book reviews, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this clearly written and helpful little book.