No, I’m not going to quote mine. Or the second one. What hurts is that both were from Publishers Weekly but I rationalize that they should never have allowed a man (I’m guessing) to review romance novels. Today, thanks to Mags Storey alerting me to Flavorwire’s article “Fifteen Early Scathing Reviews of Classic Novels,” I can retaliate by quoting a review by PW of the classic novel, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by Maurice Sendak in 1963: “...illustrations ...are accompanied by a pointless and confusing story.”
The New York Times had more than its share of the fifteen scathing reviews of books now considered classics. Such as:
LOLITA by Vladimir Nabokov. 1958. “There are two equally serious reasons why it isn’t worth any adult reader’s attention. The first is that it is dull, dull, dull in a pretentious, florid and archly fatuous fashion. The second is that it is repulsive.”
ABSALOM, ABSALOM by William Faulkner. “...a penny dreadful tricked up in fancy language....The characters have no magnitude and no meaning because they have no more reality than a mince-pie nightmare.” Clifton Fadiman, 1936.
CATCH 22 by Joseph Heller, 1961. “The book is an emotional hodgepodge.”
THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. Salinger. 1951. “It’s too long. Gets kind of monotonous. And he should have cut out all those jerks... They depress me.”
In 1885 the New York Times published the review of Mark Twain’s HUCKLEBERRY FINN from the Springfield Register, which had stated that its “perusal cannot be anything less than harmful.”
Other reputable reviewers had some not-so-nice comments about books considered “classic,” too.
“It is no discredit to Walt Whitman that he wrote LEAVES OF GRASS, only that he did not burn it afterward.“ The Atlantic, 1867.
WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Bronte. “It is a compound of vulgar depravity and unnatural horrors.” Graham’s Lady’s Magazine. 1848.
“THE GREAT GATSBY is an absurd story...Mr. Scott Fitzgerald deserves a good shaking.” Saturday Review, 1925.
MOBY DICK. “If there are any of our readers who wish to find examples of bad rhetoric, involved syntax, stilted sentiment and incoherent English, I...recommend this volume of Mr. Melville’s.” Democratic Review. 1852
MADAME BOVARY. “Monsieur Flaubert is not a writer.” Le Figaro 1857.
Now doesn’t that make you feel better? Repeat after me, “Yes, but they could be wrong.”
You have to just ignore those naysayers! :) Great blog post!
ReplyDeleteRebecca:
DeleteThanks for the comment. I'm glad you liked the post.
Yes, this makes me feel better. Ignore the naysayers -yeah!
ReplyDeletePatricia:
DeleteI'm glad the post made you feel better. Thanks for telling me.
Just makes me remember that not everyone will like what I write about, and the reviews sound like my critique partners! LOL! Guess this is why we need critiques to develop a thick skin. If someone reviewed my work to as they did with WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Bronte. “It is a compound of vulgar depravity and unnatural horrors.” Graham’s Lady’s Magazine. 1848. I would take it as a complement. Sometimes a bad review can launch a writing career! Great post Phillis! Bring on the naysayers!
ReplyDeleteDiane Kratz
Diane
DeleteI agree. I've been in so many critique groups for so many years, I have skin like an elephant. I just keep writing and reminding myself that, having sold some books, SOMEBODY likes me.
Wonderful!! Thank you for posting and making my day! :)
ReplyDeleteCori:
DeleteI'm glad I made your day. I felt better after writing it too.
Fun post Phyllis!!!
ReplyDeleteI do feel better... LOL
Lisa :)
Lisa:
DeleteI'm so glad my post made you feel better. thanks for the comment.
Thank you so much for this post, Phyllis! I feel much better now! LOL
ReplyDeleteS.D.
DeleteThanks for the comment. We need all the smiles we can get.
I sincerely do not expect everyone to like my stories/characters. I've gotten two really off the wall reviews that left me sputtering. In one the reader loved the book, but lambasted me for mentioning dog and cock fighting. She felt affronted on behalf of her pit bulls. I wanted to tell her that nowhere did I mention a specific breed and it was a mere mention of this crime...and it was the BAD guys who were involved...One of the things that made them BAD.
ReplyDeleteJ.D.
DeleteAren't those the worst? We're not supposed to respond to bad reviews but it's sure tempting when the reviewer just didn't get it. Thanks for sharing. You have my sympathy.
Made my mouth drop open. The bad reviews on the classics were...classic. All you can do is take it in and move on. Easier said than done, I know. I've laughed. I've cried. Reviews are personal; how can they not be? You wonder how you'll write another word. And then, because we're professional writers, we do. We get up and write. One paragraph. One page. One chapter...the best revenge. :) Thanks for the post, Phyllis. Onward!
ReplyDeleteSylvia:
DeleteYes, To keep writing is the best revenge. And perhaps our next book will go viral and then the snarky reviewer will have to eat crow. Well, it could happen, so we won't give up. Thanks for the comment.