“This is the best book I’ve ever read!”
“This book will change your life!”
We’ve all heard things like this. Heck, I’ve probably even said them myself. (No fair checking past podcasts and calling me on it!) Sometimes statements like these have the desired effect and the listener runs right out to get the book and starts reading it immediately. But, if you’re like me, once three or four people wax rhapsodic about a book, I start to wonder, “Can it really be that good?” If I do decide to read the book, it has a lot to live up to.
This is the problem I faced with The 13 Clocks by James Thurber. Since the book was republished last fall, people have been saying incredibly wonderful things about it. Neil Gaiman, in his introduction, calls it “…probably the best book in the world.” Yeah, no pressure.
Well, I’m happy to say I loved the book. Best book in the world? That might be a bit strong, but fun to read? Absolutely. Just check out this passage:
The brambles and the thorns grew thick and thicker in a ticking thicket of bickering crickets. Farther along and stronger, bonged the gongs of a throng of frogs, green and vivid on their lily pads. From the sky came the crying of flies, and the pilgrims leaped over a bleating sheep creeping knee-deep in a sleepy stream, in which swift and slippery snakes slid and slithered silkily, whispering sinful secrets.
The word play alone is enough reason to read The 13 Clocks but there’s also the timeless story and the lovely art by Marc Simont.
So, what about you? Can a book be over-hyped to the point of impossible expectations, or, when it comes to raves, do you think the more the merrier?
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(all information is for the U.S. editions).
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I think it’s fine to call a great book great, and I’m always happy to read rave reviews from people whose opinions I trust and generally agree with, but I am wary of “this book changed my life”-esque statements. I’ve read a lot of amazing books, but I’m not sure I’d really say that about any of them.
I find that I tend to qualify things a bit more, as in “this is one of the best books I’ve read this year,” or “this will probably end up in my all-time favorites,” but only time will tell.
And you’re right—there’s almost nothing more disappointing than being let down by a book you expected to be fantastic.
Ooowww…this quote from ‘The 13 Clocks’ makes my head hurt Michael
) I’m sure the kids will love it though.
As to whether books are over-hyped? Of course they are! But it’s up to the potential buyer to ’sort the wheat from the chaff’ and look beyond the hype.
I concur with Rebecca though. A book that hails itself as being ‘life-changing’ usually needs a wide berth.
I do think books can be over rated. A few years ago I read Songs in Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris. I slogged through and finished it because a few girlfriends said how fabulous it was. I hated it, the mother pissed me off so bad, I wanted to strangle her at the end of the book. It was depressing. Do y’all get the idea I didn’t like it? Some books just don’t churn my butter, but they do for others. Take some opinions with a grain of salt.
Carla
I agree that the “This book changed my life!” statements can be a little over the top. Unless that person can actually tell me how that book changed his life, I’m not going to expect too much out of it. If all the reviews are just generic hype-”This book is so great,” “You won’t be able to put it down,” etc., then I’m a little skeptical, but if all the people raving can give me some concrete examples like they thought the writing was lyrical, they were able to sympathize completely with a certain character, or the book presented a way of looking at a particular subject that they had never considered before, I am much more likely to take an interest in it. Ultimately, I try to keep in mind that not everybody has the same tastes and just because something is popular, does not mean it is good.
Oh, also, The 13 Clocks sounds like a lot of fun!
This is my dilemma right now with Edgar Sawtelle. I have been told by many that it is a wonderful story and the author is from a town close to where I live, but when it comes down to it, I can’t find my rhythm with it. Perhaps I was expecting more from it with all the rave! I also might end up loving it in the end once I finish it!