one star classics??

All authors, myself included, have stressed over a less-than-flattering review. But hey, it seems not even the authors on the Great Books reading list are immune to one-star amazon reviews.

My husband forwarded me an alternatively amusing and horrifying article about mean Amazon reviews, posted on salon.com earlier this month. Here's a sample of what some Amazon reviewers have to say about...

The Grapes of Wrath: "trite, contrived"

To Kill a Mockingbird: "more degrading than a harlequin romance" (say WHAT???)

Jane Eyre (one of my all-time faves): "the entire book is written in pointless metaphors"

Charlotte's Web: "I felt no feelings toward any of the characters."
(this reviewer obviously has no qualms eating bacon)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn: "This book is 3 words over and over again: MY LIFE IS BAD." (apparently, this reviewer isn't so good at math)

Where the Wild Things Are: "[the kid] talks back to his mother. Save your money."

1984: "DO NOT READ ANY GEORGE ORWELL. Your [sic] just wasting your time. "

Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl: "very very very very very very very very very very very boring. If you have to read this book, shoot yourself first."
(This book had me in tears as a teenager. Can you even imagine being as heartless as this reviewer?)

and, last but definitely not least...even the Almighty is not immune...

The BIBLE: "harder to get into than Lord of the Rings"
(I'm picturing God and JRR Tolkien sharing a chuckle over this one)

For full texts of the reviews above, see the original article at salon.com


See ya!

Joy