Ask the Critic - Round Three

The third installment of Ask the Critic features a question from Carissa Reid:

Do you find that being a critical reader interferes or limits with the enjoyment of reading?

It changes it, that's for sure. Reading critically makes it more difficult to enjoy a book that's poorly written or contains other obvious flaws. It makes it harder to ignore tricks that writers use, like cheating on the POV, or relying on cliches.

It makes it that much more enjoyable, though, to read a book that's skillfully done. You can really appreciate the talent that so many writers have, the clever ways of telling a story and the beauty of their prose.

I think the thing that interferes even more than being a critical reader is being a frequent reader. Reading as many books as I do, and seeing so many more, I have less tolerance for books that make no effort to strike new ground. Too many books are essentially just echoes of other books and I find that very tiresome.

For example, I've gotten to the point where I almost can't stand to read yet another generic PI novel that features the standard plot, the same old characters, the tired tropes of the genre. (This is the main reason I've been so dissatisfied with the winners of the St. Martin's Press/PWA award in recent years.)

If an author doesn't have a fresh and original story to tell, or something to say about the form, or a unique voice or style, why bother? Although the casual reader likely wouldn't pick up on those things, they become very obvious to the critic.

Even after all the reviewing I've done, though, I still primarily and above all read for enjoyment. The reason I started writing about books in the first place is because I love them. And I still do, maybe even more than ever. The day I stop loving enjoying reading will be the day I stop reviewing. But I can't imagine that ever happening.