Lynne King's Reviews > The Good Earth

"Why on earth do I continue to be seduced by good reviews?"

I can't answer that (and as a friend who has written a reasonably favourable review of this, I may be partly responsible for your disappointment), but I find I'm getting better at seeing through the stars and focusing on the nature of a book when trying to extrapolate whether I will like a book a friend adores (and vice versa).

Better luck next time.

Thanks for that Cecily.

I always seek out a negative review when a friend seduces me with a super favourable one, Lynne. Doesn't always work but it's good to know why people didn't love a book. The blurb on covers has become so outlandishly gushing these days, as if every novel is the new War and Peace. I wonder sometimes if people hold back here when they don't like a book in case the author reads it and it ruins his/her day. I often imagine this when I'm writing a review of a book i didn't like. It can feel like you're having a private conversation about someone who might be hiding in the wardrobe!

I love your final sentence Violet!

Yes that's a good idea to also seek out a negative review. I must remember that.