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A half-decent book that is introduced as a collection of wizarding fables (with notes by a Harry Potter character), it soon loses its charm. When JKR buries the voices of the fables’ protagonists under the accompanying notes, the reader starts questioning the book’s length and wonders who the target audience is (definitely not *THIS* Muggle).

Everyone (i.e. my two regular readers, one of whom is me) knows by now that I read movie reviews religiously. And what a lot of people would not know is that one of my prized possessions is a compilation of all of Roger Ebert’s reviews. I read reviews (I don’t base my movie choices on them, though) because sometimes, I think I need that extra help to understand what is being represented on screen. Yes, I have a simple mind that cannot (sometimes) comprehend a layered viewpoint. (more…)

In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.

- Anton Ego / Peter O’ Toole (Ratatouille, 2007)

One of my pet peeves has always been bad reviews and their reviewers, be it for movies, books or something else. And this line just stuck a chord with me. Reviews and reviewers are bound to be judgmental, but I can’t stand reviews that give away plot details, even if it is with the usage of a single word. (more…)