From hereon, I ask all litbloggers to join me in naming and shaming reviewers who begin discussion of a novel with "About halfway through ..." or "About two-thirds into ..." or "At one point in [insert title]". Together we can end it.
If you see a review that starts this way, why not take it as a hint? So, if the reviewer writes "About half-way through Heinrich Mizoguchi's wry roman a clef...", begin reading the review half-way through. If it starts "Towards the end..." only read the last sentence.
For your viewing pleasure:
ReplyDelete2005 Film
2005 Exhibition
2004 Book
2003 Play
2000 Book
If you see a review that starts this way, why not take it as a hint? So, if the reviewer writes "About half-way through Heinrich Mizoguchi's wry roman a clef...", begin reading the review half-way through. If it starts "Towards the end..." only read the last sentence.
ReplyDelete...and the infamous review of Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest that began: "Having never read Infinite Jest..." should, indeed, never be read at all!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the impressive links Anonymous. You do get around. It must be hard work.
ReplyDeleteI've not heard of that Infinite Jest review though. Sounds like fun. Got a link?
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