Why Book Reviews and Critiques Are Essentially Pointless.
Because “good writing” is, for the most part, relative and decided on by the eye of the beholder.
Good grammar aside, the books that people like, and the writing they deem quality, and the stories they find most memorable, are going to differ from person to person.
Each book will speak to someone. Potentially if the author is lucky, even many someones.
No one experiences the same book in the same way.
Take two separate reviews of the same book, a debut literary novel from a NY publisher. One remarked on the authors appealing ability and talent to “turn a phrase” and thus, write well. The other review remarked on her bumbling, stilted prose. Then, get this, both reviews quoted the same line from her book as an example! One remarking of its quality, the other on its apparent lack thereof.
This tells all you need to know about both “good” writing, as well as, just about everything we critique throughout our culture and lives at large.
All of it is almost entirely opinion and personal perspective.
Thus, there is no “good” writing (proper grammar aside).
Any given story or piece of writing that lights up, inspires, grips, or moves one person will do nothing for another.
