Tayari's Blog: Why I Don't Read the NYT Book Review

I was looking at it this morning because a friend's memoir was reviewed there. He'd received a copy in advance and told me that "they didn't like it much." I went to look at the review to see if he was just being sensitive. (He wasn't.)

While, looking for his review, I had to more or less scroll through the entire weeks offerings. And I have to tell you, it gave me a sort of sinking feeling in my stomach. It was as bad as reading my OWN reviews.

When I read reviews of my work, I am looking to see if this assessment of my work is going to make me or break me. Because, really, reviews do matter in a writer's life. They don't neccesarily have to affect the writer's view of herself, but there is no question that reviews make big career differences.

For those of you not in the loop: it's a bit of an accomplishment to get reviewed ANYWHERE in the first place. So many good books are never reviewed in major venues. Many people can't even get the local paper to give them a review. It's not the book editor's fault. She can only review one or two books a week. So, you see, someone gets left out. A lot of someones get left out.

But back to the NYT. Where was I?

As I was looking through the reviews, I felt a little queasy as I read these pronouncements of which books were good, which were not. Which endings "didn't work." Which plots were "far fetched." And the reviewers are just soooo clever! (So clever with their cleavers!) And when they love the book-- so poetic!

The point is that it weirds me out even if my book isn't among those being discussed. Reading reviews of any type does not make me want to sit at my table a write. It does not make me want to read. Reading the NYT review makes me hate the whole business.

And that's not right. Because I love writing. I know that reviews are a neccesary evil. But I don't have to read them. I'll read my own. I have to know what is going on with my own career. I don't have a clutch of assistants to clip my reviews and store them someplace. I maintain my own web site, so I am the one who posts any good news. So I can't take that sort of high-art position of "I don't read my reviews."

But I can make a point not to solicit anxiety. I don't have to pick up the Book Review every week and consume about 50 pages of the stuff. That's the key, I think. If you want to get out of a hole.. STOP DIGGING.