You just picked up a book to read, maybe you mention it in the Whatcha Reading thread. Someone mentions how much they hate the book. Is that a good thing to know at that point or an annoying thing to hear or other? (Inspired by a comment just a few minutes ago in that thread.)
I guess this works for movies, too. If you say you’re headed out the door to see X and someone says, “Ack, horrible movie.” Is that good to know? Is ignorance (of someone else’s opinion) bliss?
I like to hear people’s opinions; I just hope they don’t spoil the book in case I decide to go ahead and read it.
By the way, I wasn’t overly impressed with Ender’s Game either.
It doesn’t really annoy me. I’m still going to read/watch/whatever it. Well, I would be grateful in a way I suppose, because I’d already know I had someone to discuss it with afterward.
It really depends on why they disparage it, and whether I know if their tastes are like mine at all. I know people, for example, who ALWAYS sneer at anything by a particular author; so it tells me nothing for them to slam a book by him/her. Or, people who overuse the term “Mary Sue”, to mean “any protagonist that’s not an incompetent scumball”; having them complain that the protagonist is a “Mary Sue” doesn’t tell me anything either. And so on.
On the other hand, my brother has tastes quite similar to mine; if he says he doesn’t like a book, then I can be pretty sure it’s a waste of time for me to read it ( and visa versa ).
There’s negative comments and then there’s threadshitting. Without commentary, positive or negative, everyone is just reduced to making lists of titles, which is just boring. Only being able to say nice things would be equally boring.
My take on it depends on how the OP is worded:
“Twilight is the best book ever written!”: Calls for discussion and contrary opinions should be expected.
“I loved Twilight”: People who disagree should stay out of the thread.
Apropos of nothing: I recommended a book (on another board) to someone who asked for a time travel romance. Her response was: “LOL - that book is like #15000 on Amazon!” I never wanted to beat up a 12-year-old so bad!!
I think if the comments stay on the book and not sneering at someone reading (or enjoying) the book, I wouldn’t mind. I don’t think I’d be crazy about it, though - I think it would make it a little bit harder to enjoy a book on its own merits if you have just been influenced negatively about it.
Indifferent. Why would I care what someone thought about a book that I like? If they like it, cool; if not, they’re wrong.
The way I understand the question posed in the OP is that you haven’t read it yet, so haven’t formed an opinion, which really is a different situation.
I think it’s rude as hell, because it’s like they’re telling you what you should think of it (or you’re an asshole). If someone is starting a book I didn’t like, I might say something like “I didn’t care for it – I’ll be curious to get your take on it, though,” which leaves the person room to form his or her own opinion about it. Maybe that’s not really any less rude, though. ponder
I’m fine with cheerful disagreements over books, but I think it’s slightly rude to drop into a thread for the sole purpose of making an unsolicited negative comment about a book somebody is about to read. Although I would not be bothered by a gentle remark like twickster’s “I didn’t care for it.”
It does make me cringe when someone in that particular thread makes a disparaging comment about an author or series that I know to be popular among the Whatcha Reading regulars. It feels like when a party guest has inadvertently said something offensive out loud.
By the way, while I am usually annoyed by “me too” posts on this board, in that thread I think it’s encouraging when people make simple responses to say, “Ooh, I liked that book too!” I have to restrain myself from doing it too often.
Off topic: AuntiePam, what was the book you recommended to the ungrateful youngster?
It depends on who says it and how it’s explained. Someone whose posts I’ve read, who reads in that genre, who gives a coherent account of the book’s problems, may well influence me if I’m not already familiar with the author. Otherwise, I don’t mind, but an “OMG! it is teh sux!!1! lol” comment actually makes me more likely to read the book.
I usually don’t pay any attention to what someone tells me, but here’s my turn-off: the first ten pages are nothing but narration.
I need to see some dialogue by at least the third page or it goes back to the rack.
Now, if someone had warned me against Lisey’s Story, “Babyluv”, I might’ve listened. That book was the worst piece of shit King ever wrote, IMHO.
Quasi
I generally don’t care unless it’s explained why the book is bad. One thing that will probably somewhat spoil any book for me is if someone says it has a bad ending. I’ll constantly be on guard for bad resolutions and that’ll make me enjoy the story less.
I like to hear lots of different opinions. I prefer to hear why someone likes it or dislikes it, but I like to hear everyone’s opinion.
If I just picked up a book to read it, then I only want to hear good things about it. As much as I’d like to believe that my opinion is always a pure representation of my own feelings, I just have to doubt that that’s always the case.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I don’t care for the book but I know it’s popular, and it’s exactly what she asked for – time travel/romance.
I should be more forgiving. There was a time when I read solely from the best seller list because I thought those were the best books. 