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Re: I'm happy to hear that my reviews are inspiring you! Legolas Send a noteboard - 11/04/2011 10:55:59 PM

I was actually quite disappointed when my review for Der Steppenwolf received virtually no feedback. I thought it was a great book and I tried to write a clear and thought-out review to do it justice, though perhaps I did limit criticisms that I had (I thought the Magic Theatre at the end went on a bit too long and was uneven in its presentation, for example).

Well, activity levels being what they are, one can generally be happy when three or four people leave significant comments, I guess. Plenty of reviews get only one or two replies, or none at all.

I actually bought Der Steppenwolf on your recommendation, incidentally - after not finding it at the library, I found it cheap in pocket version (yes, yes

) at the bookstore and figured, what the hell.

It is nice to know that you've been inspired by the reviews, though! I am trying to figure out how, if at all, I could write a review of Nietzsche's Der Antichrist, which I thought was a fun read (even if that was not the reaction the author intended, and I am sure it was not). I think that the problems you highlighted in writing reviews of biography can stand for philosophy as well. How do you address it without providing a LOT of background information? I may just focus on one point that I actually found to be a very valid one, and which dovetails nicely with my research into Gnosticism.

Yes, that might be even more true with philosophy, alright... never tried reviewing a philosophy book, the closest I came was probably that cultural history on the Fall of the Middle Ages by Huizinga - and my review of that didn't exactly go into his more theoretical ideas in depth.

I think focusing on one point is a strategy often employed by reviewers, so it could work, though of course on the downside it might further limit the amount of people who are interested - or hell, even understand what you're saying. But then, don't let that stop you. Good reviews, good posts in general are worth writing even if just one or two people fully appreciate them.

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Franz Kafka - Amerika Legolas - 11/04/2011 09:41:26 PM 901 Views

I'm happy to hear that my reviews are inspiring you! Tom - 11/04/2011 10:32:22 PM 486 Views

Re: I'm happy to hear that my reviews are inspiring you! Legolas - 11/04/2011 10:55:59 PM 558 Views

Re: Panorphaeon - 13/04/2011 02:19:33 AM 487 Views

Thank you! Tom - 15/04/2011 07:45:32 PM 446 Views

The Trial was a failure, too, as far as I'm concerned. *NM* Panorphaeon - 11/04/2011 11:56:38 PM 179 Views

I read it when I was too young, I think Camilla - 12/04/2011 07:52:17 AM 404 Views

I've only read the Metamorphosis by Kafka Stephen - 12/04/2011 11:29:21 AM 434 Views

The incompleteness isn't really a major issue, I don't think. Legolas - 12/04/2011 06:12:03 PM 453 Views

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<quote id="200952">
<quote id="200944">I was actually quite disappointed when my review for <i>Der Steppenwolf</i> received virtually no feedback.  I thought it was a great book and I tried to write a clear and thought-out review to do it justice, though perhaps I did limit criticisms that I had (I thought the Magic Theatre at the end went on a bit too long and was uneven in its presentation, for example).</quote>
Well, activity levels being what they are, one can generally be happy when three or four people leave significant comments, I guess. Plenty of reviews get only one or two replies, or none at all.

I actually bought Der Steppenwolf on your recommendation, incidentally - after not finding it at the library, I found it cheap in pocket version (yes, yes :P ) at the bookstore and figured, what the hell. 
<quote id="200944">It is nice to know that you've been inspired by the reviews, though!  I am trying to figure out how, if at all, I could write a review of Nietzsche's <i>Der Antichrist</i>, which I thought was a fun read (even if that was not the reaction the author intended, and I am sure it was not).  I think that the problems you highlighted in writing reviews of biography can stand for philosophy as well.  How do you address it without providing a LOT of background information?  I may just focus on one point that I actually found to be a very valid one, and which dovetails nicely with my research into Gnosticism.</quote>
Yes, that might be even more true with philosophy, alright... never tried reviewing a philosophy book, the closest I came was probably that cultural history on the Fall of the Middle Ages by Huizinga - and my review of that didn't exactly go into his more theoretical ideas in depth.

I think focusing on one point is a strategy often employed by reviewers, so it could work, though of course on the downside it might further limit the amount of people who are interested - or hell, even understand what you're saying. But then, don't let that stop you. Good reviews, good posts in general are worth writing even if just one or two people fully appreciate them. 
</quote>

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