For the first time ever, I wrote a short Amazon review – for Jane Holland’s book, Boudicca & Co, which is a good read.
Amazon customer reviews are often fairly worthless. For example, I read an obnoxious review of a Collected Poems. The reviewer gave the book one star. He had studied this poet at school and hated the poetry. I felt certain he had never read this Collected Poems, by one of my favourite poets! The review, besides being libellous, should never have been published. Many “reviews” are at that level. I’ve just reported it to Amazon as defamatory (yes, it was that bad).
Do you buy books on the strength of an Amazon review? That’s if it was a five-star review from someone who sounded like he/she had read the book and had thought about it. Do they have any influence on you at all? Would a one star review put you off?
