If you haven’t already, you may want to read this article before continuing: The bionic book worm

It is quite evident, given what the editor of the TLS says, that the “professional” (in quotes because I think it’s run its course) literary critics have no knowledge of book bloggers at all. It would appear that those who scorn bloggers have simply logged on to Google and found a few blogs that may not represent the community at large, or they have simply not spent enough time browsing to find blogs that suit their tastes. And it’s rather funny really that, furthering this, Peter Stothard fails to realise that many bloggers share a similar educational background to him. I don’t know about you, but I’ve come across many profiles that cite Oxbridge and indeed other educational institutions of high regard; maybe you are one of them? And they are good writers.

It is ridiculous of Stothard to suggest, subtly as he does (yes, I’m being kind there), that the opinions of all bloggers are of no importance and should be disregarded. Not only is he fundamentally wrong, all he achieves by saying so is to reveal his own prejudice of anyone who does not conform to the high standards he has created for himself. If Peter Stothard does not approve of you, then that is all that matters. Never mind that there is a place for every opinion online, and that people in general appear to appreciate the concept that anyone can have an opinion which is worth listening to – if Peter said that a person who doesn’t read shouldn’t have an opinion on such-and-such a book, that would be easier to understand, but to scorn the very valid opinions of a person who read the book is elitist. And I think we’ve seen enough of that against our community, when will they learn? Indeed, as Rebecca of The Book Lady’s Blog said, “every new article about how bloggers are ruining something is really an acknowledgement that bloggers are powerful” ¹. The bigger picture isn’t that bloggers are bad, per se, it is that they may mean the end to “professional” criticism. Perhaps if the media actually bothered to write about books as much as they used to, and didn’t just display their class and educational status in their reviews, there would be more healthy competition between us rather than a reason for scorn. Because as has been said numerous times, there is a place for both our factions.

And how can it be said that some opinions do not matter? Of course there will always be occasions where a person will review in a positive manner a book that another thought was an abomination to literature, but that positive review has its place. People think differently, they appreciate different things, and what works for one person won’t work for the other. A blogger might review a book in a way that reveals they lack understanding of the background context. Another person may not find such a review helpful if they happen to know the context – maybe the blogger will say something that makes no sense or is literally irrelevant given that context. But, and this is a big but, that review would appeal to someone who also doesn’t know the context of the book, and the fact is very few, given the number of books we read, will ever know the context behind everything. That includes people of Stothard’s ilk, whose mistakes are often pointed out. We often learn through our reviews and the discussions we have about them. There will always be someone who will find an opinion useful, even if others don’t. That in itself is reason to suggest that all opinions count, and particularly it is reason to suggest a level of equality in opinions.

So Peter Stothard, and every other “professional” critic who hasn’t bothered to spend time doing research and discovering our various purposes, can continue blathering on about what they have little knowledge of, making a fool of themselves in the eyes of not only those who they scorn, but the very many who support bloggers. Maybe one day they will realise that there is not such a strict divide between “them” and “us” and that the people who work with “professionals” often work with bloggers too. Perhaps that’s another thing that gets them in a twist, the idea that it is no longer exclusive.

Their motive is not to suggest that good criticism is in decline, their motive is to prove their own worth and to push back the force that is eligibly turning the tide. Unfortunately for them, it is their own methods of working and the refusal to work with what is popular that is the real enemy they should be throwing their words at, and it seems unlikely they will ever realise it.

If Peter Stothard wants to keep up, he should probably reconsider his workings – “in a normal year, you might read 20 novels” – and see how many novels the book bloggers are getting through.

References

¹ Rebecca Schinsky, on Twitter, 25th September 2012

More opinions on this topic:

• Amanda Nelson
• The Guardian
• Damien Walter
• Alex in Leeds
• Rohan Maitzen
• Alice Farrant
• Simon Savidge
• John Self
• Forbes
• New York Daily News
• Huffington Post
• Insatiable Booksluts
• Damyanti
• TeleRead