13条最尖刻的书评.ppt

H.L. Mencken called The Great Gatsby a glorified anecdote. 备受推崇、备受美化的奇闻轶事 * Top 13 acerbic book reviews mean Critics are to authors what dogs are to lamp-posts. Jeffrey Robinson Bad reviews are a fact of literary life, even for the most successful writers. Take Steig Larsson -- perhaps the hottest novelist of recent years, his books have nevertheless had to weather some cold-blooded attacks. The New York Times calls The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo “improbable” among other things. But the really tough one comes from Susan Cohen: This is easily one of the worst books I’ve ever read. And remember I’ve read…” (John Grisham) Sweet Valley High But if authors and readers think reviews can be mean today, they are nothing compared to the vitriolic war of words carried out during a time when it seems we had thicker hides. What we call a classic now was once an up-and-coming writers new novel – and fair game for reviewers with sharpened knives. No wonder that in Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot a war of insults culminates with Crritic! Here are some examples of critics doing their gleeful worst – and literary lights who dont miss a chance to take a swipe at a colleague. gleeful news in gleeful mood My daughter is the light of my life. one of the leading lights of the theater. A critical remark The Cardinals Mistress Benito Mussolini 《红衣主教的情人》 贝尼托·墨索里尼 In response to reading Benito Mussolinis The Cardinals Mistress, Dorothy Parker said, this is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force. Dorothy Parker Henry James 悲剧缪斯 Of Henry James, Mark Twain said, Once youve put one of his books down, you simply cant pick it up again. Mark Twain George Meredith 利己主义者 乔治·梅瑞狄斯 Of George Meredith, Oscar Wilde said, as a writer he has mastered everything except language; as a novelist he can do everything except tell a story; as an artist he is everything except articulate . 作为一个作家，他掌握了一切，除了语言；作为一个小说家，他几乎万能，可就是不会讲故事；作为一个艺术家，他简直就是