I read a book recently. (I know, right? I’ve been trying to quit.)
Had high expectations for it, and it didn’t deliver. Not awful, just sort of mediocre. Normally I’d write up a Postmortem for it here, analyze why it didn’t work and what I did like, and move on with my life.
Here’s the thing, though: the author is someone I know.
Not, like, someone I know well. She’s much further along in her writing career, has multiple books out and thousands of devoted readers, couldn’t pick me out of a lineup. But we have exchanged several e-mails, she’s given me some encouragement and good advice, and basically been an all-around excellent person.
And so writing a post that amounts to “her book isn’t worth your money” feels like, you know, sort of a dick move.
Not because of the criticism – I’m sure she could take it (and probably couldn’t care less). It’s more the fact that she supports herself with her writing, and it feels distinctly ungrateful to return her kindness by stepping on that means of support, however slightly.
So that (apparently) is my policy for this blog: if the author’s dead, or is someone like Stephen King who’s ascended to a higher plane, I’ll share negative opinions. But if it’s someone who is still getting established, I’ll keep it to myself. “Professional courtesy” isn’t the right term, but it’s the closest I can think of.
It feels a little strange, deciding to hide thoughts about books on a writing blog. But no more strange, I guess, than deciding not to say “Hey, has your nose always been shaped like Wisconsin?” when you meet someone.
Silence is as far as I go, though. I don’t think I could bring myself to actually recommend a mediocre book just because I know the author, even if I really want them to succeed. Because if you start doing that, pretty soon that’s all you’re doing: recommending mediocre books. And we’ve all seen blogs like that, where every week the blogger’s raving about some amazing new novel so-and-so wrote (“and by the way you should totally follow him on Twitter too”) and pretty soon you’re thinking wow, his friends must be some pretty incredible writers because I don’t think I’ve ever liked five books in a row by ANYBODY.
That turned out maybe a little more bitter than I intended?
Anyway: having a public forum for your opinions turns out to be kind of weird, is what I’m saying. Tell me, have you ever run into this problem? How did you handle it?
Brian D. Buckley 
It’s probably harder to deal constructively with the mediocre than anything that reaches heights or depths. There is little to be gained from a criticism of “could have tried harder”
Also mediocrity is about failure to take risks. That puts it very much into the subjective. Your comfortable can easily be somebody else’s mass market appeal.
I would say you have chosen the right path. Wheaton’s Law applies.
Well, in this case it was less about thinking of constructive criticism, than about whether to post anything negative at all.
Wheaton’s Law was a new one for me, though. I’ma have to use that sometime…
I do pretty much the same thing as you. I only recommend a book (much less talk about it) if I truly enjoyed it. The rest I stay quiet about publicly, although I will give my honest opinion privately if I am asked.
I also maintain 2 separate GoodReads accounts for the same reason. One is for MY records, the other is a public Author account that only lists books I read and enjoyed.
I don’t think it’s duplicitous. It’s just courteous. There are PLENTY of other readers who are more than happy to bash a bad book. As a fellow writer, I don’t feel the need to join in the fray. Plus, taste is subjective.
Courtesy? On the Internet?! š