We’ve all done it. You’re browsing for your next read, you see a book with 50,000 five-star reviews, and then you see it—the lone, angry, one-star rating.
Suddenly, I don’t care about why the book is a "masterpiece of modern literature." I want to know why Gary from Nebraska thinks it’s "the worst thing to happen to paper since the papercut."
The Fine Art of the Hater
Reading one-star reviews of world-famous classics is my favorite way to spend a Tuesday night. It’s a humbling reminder that you truly cannot please everyone. Here are the three main types of one-star reviewers I’ve encountered:
The "Literally Literal" Critic: They read a fantasy novel and get angry that dragons aren't biologically feasible. "One star. Wingspan to body-weight ratio is all wrong. Unrealistic." (Sir, it’s a book about magic.)
The "Required Reading" Victim: Usually a high schooler who was forced to read The Great Gatsby and is taking their revenge on the internet. "Gatsby is just a simp with a pool. Zero stars."
The "Wrong Genre" Traveler: The person who picks up a dark, gritty psychological thriller and complains that it wasn't "uplifting." "Too much murder. I wanted a book about a cat."
My Favorite "Bad" Reviews of Masterpieces
I went digging through the archives of the internet to find what people are saying about the books we’re "supposed" to love. The results are art:
On The Catcher in the Rye: "Holden Caulfield needs a hobby and a nap. I spent $12 to listen to a teenager whine. I have a teenager at home. I could have listened to him for free."
On Moby Dick: "Way too much information about whales. I feel like I could pass a biology exam now, but I still don't know why the captain is so mad."
On The Odyssey: "Takes too long to get home. Just use Google Maps."
Why We Should Celebrate the One-Star Review
In a weird way, these reviews are a testament to how subjective reading is. A book is a partnership between an author's imagination and a reader's perspective. Sometimes, those two things just... crash into each other like a 10-car pileup on the highway.
The fact that one person can find a book life-changing while another finds it "useful only as a doorstop" is what makes book clubs so much fun. If we all liked the same things, we’d have nothing to argue about over wine and cheese.
The "Anti-Recommendation" Challenge
This year, I’m challenging myself to read one book that has notoriously polarizing reviews. I want to see if I’m a "Gary" or a "Gushy Fan."
What about you? Have you ever loved a book that everyone else seemed to hate? Or did you DNF a "masterpiece" because you just couldn't stand the protagonist?
I dnf'd Exit West, it was supposed to be wonderful. started off okay... then the characters start talking about magic doors rather than airplanes and i just didn't get it.
ReplyDeleteI have given 1 star reviews before. if a book is that bad, it is unlikely that i made it that far into a story to review it, but in the event i power through to the end...i really have tried to be in the habit of thinking critically about every book i read so i tend to review the majority share of books i read now. i always figured it helps someone with tastes similar to my own, avoid a bad book.