I was recently asked how much of an influence my book reviews have on the people who visit this blog. In all honesty, I have no idea, for there's absolutely no way for me to measure such a thing. Given the amount of traffic this blog gets, I figure I do have some kind of input.:-)From the emails I sometimes receive from random readers, I do know that I turned quite a few of you guys into Erikson fans!;-) There was a thread last year on Scott Lynch's message board, and it seems that being one of the first to review The Lies of Locke Lamora did pique a lot of people's curiosity. Being the first to post a review of Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind probably didn't hurt, either. . . Still, I really can't say.
The person who posts under the pseudonym "Pat made me read it" gave me an idea. So I ask you: Were there books that you picked up because of a positive review from Yours Truly? And if so, which ones? By the same token, were there books you wished to buy, but changed your mind when I came up with a negative review for those titles?
Contrary to what many appear to believe, other reviewers do influence the books I choose to read. Perhaps a little less so nowadays since I often get titles before anyone else, but there's no denying that I keep a close eye on what trusted reviewers are saying. Rob Bedford has always been a reliable source when it comes to what to read next. Jay Tomio got me reading Scott Lynch and Naomi Novik when nobody knew who they were. Larry intrigued me enough that I gave R. Scott Bakker a chance -- for that alone I'm willing to put up with all those Spanish reviews and that M. John Harrison crap that he's pushing on us!!!;-) Ken got me reading Sean Williams. William Lexner made me discover authors such as Ian McDonald, Joe Abercrombie and Peter Watts. As you can see, I owe these guys. . .:-)
So did Pat made you read it or not!?!
45 commentaires:
Oh you have an influence for sure. I picked up "Lies of Locke Lamora," "Name of the Wind," "The Blade Itself" and "Acacia" after seeing them here. I haven't regretted a single purchase. I was lucky enough to get a copy of "Winterbirth" from Orbit and I reaaaaallly like it. I asked them for a review copy after seeing it here too.
C'est sûr que pour Erikson, ton blog + Fracale Framboise ont fortement attisé ma curiosité. Les interviews de l'auteur donnaient à penser que c'était quelqu'un d'intéressant. Et puis tes interventions sur Elbakin avaient quelque chose d'électrisant aussi ! ;-)
Well I have picked up a couple books I saw here, The Lies of Locke Lamora for example, but I've yet to read them. I'm a book nut so I buy books faster than I can read them (which is a cool and bad condition at the same time). But your reviews have gotten me interested in a few authors and that's the point isn't it? Driving new reader to new work.
Well, I was deffinitely an acomplished Erikson fan long before you even started reading the books :p But it was your best of 2006 chart that made me read The Lies of Locke Lamora, Temeraire and Vellum. And now thanks to your review of The Name of the Wind, I'm saving money to order it (it's quite expensive to order from Bulgaria :( )... so yes, I guess you have some influence ;)
Well, it's a hard question to answer, 'cause your reviews is only a small part in the accumulated accolade that a novel has to receive for me to pick it up.
Those that I know of for sure is; The Lies of Locke Lamora (will love you forever for that one), The Name of the Wind (will love you even longer still), The Blade Itself (swing and a-miss), Winterbirth (why, oh God, why?) and The Traveler (haven't read it yet).
I'd have to credit you with my interest, and subsequent purchase, of The Lies Of Locke Lamora, The Name Of The Wind, Acacia, and (though I've yet to pick it up I plan on it) The Blade Itself.
All the ones I've read have been well worth my time and effort, so I deem you as a quality reviewer, and when one finds a quality reviewer, one sticks around!
Pat made me read it! If you're a fantasy fan then you will end up here at some point, call it fate... ;o)
Ditto for 'The Lies of Locke Lamora', 'His Majesty's Dragon' and 'Name of the Wind' (still to read it though). And I have to say that some pretty vehement denunciations here have persuaded me away from picking up anything by Terry Goodkind. I think you've done me a favour Pat! :o)
I just found your site about a month ago and have been slowly reading all your past reviews too (which I think you should link up on librarything.com). I can't say "Pat made me read it" yet but I can certainly say "Pat made me buy it." Let's see... Scott Lynch, Neil Gaiman, Acacia, Electric Church, Winterbirth, Neal Stephenson, David Keck. No credit for Erikson though, the fact that you're a huge fan too is what made me trust your reviews to begin with.
I found your blog not long ago, but your reviews had become one of the criteria in choosing my next purchases and my next reads. Like s.m.d. says I'm also a book nut and I buy books faster than I read. But I think that if I'm intrigued by one of your reviews I could try a purchase anyway.
For 2 quick examples: I can't hardly wait to read "Lies of Locke Lamora" and I can'thardly wait Erikson's "Malazan book of the Fallen" serie to be published in my country (Romania, I heard that is this year) or to order it from Amazon.
In conclusion I can say that your opinion is important.
The only book I can fully credit to you for reading is Raymond Feist's "Into a Dark Realm" and then only because I won it off the site, cause your review of it wasn't the greatest. However, I do look forward to reading Lies of Locke Lamora because of you, and you've piqued my interest as far as Jacqueline Carey goes, so I'll eventually be looking into her books as well because of you.
Much like someone else said, I can't blame you for Erikson, but I can certainly say that it's because you were such an Erikson fan that I started coming to this site everyday!
Pat made me read Erikson and Bakker. Then he made me read Lynch, Abercrombie, and Rothfuss. Then I was assigned so many others I have yet to catch up.
Bakker and Lynch. I mainly use your site to find out about the books, and then look around message boards and other sites and then read sample chapters and then buy, hehe. Oh, and Hal Duncan! I bought Vellum in blind faith of your review.
I actually came across your blog via SFF World about a year and a half or so ago. Since then, I visit regularly and I have to give you credit for introducing me to Scott Lynch, Joe Abercrombie, Brian Ruckley, Hal Duncan, Tim Lebbon, Patrick Rothfuss and others that I just can't remember at the moment. Can't wait to see what other gems you unearth!
Scott Lynch, like everybody else (although it's still sitting on the shelf). I want to read Winterbirth after your review, also will probably check out Gail Martin.
Your review of Feist's latest help cement my desire to never read anymore Feist.
The Name of the Wind. High five, great stuff.
Quite a few...
The Lamora series
The Name of the Wind
The Summoner
The Blade Itself serier
I saw "Name of the Wind" at the library, so I picked it up. I would not have heard of it before reading your blog.
You've made me purchase Lies of Locke Lamora, Erikson, and Name of the Wind. Thank you!!!
I'm not happy with some of the things you recommend that are only available in the UK! Of course, maybe a year later I can purchase those in the U.S.
I'm waiting for Blade Itself to get to a local bookstore here in Calif. but no luck so far. I see your first comment also highly recommends Winterbirth, so now I'll have to go get that one (sigh).
Since "Pat Made Me Do It" is so successful, I also want to thank you for your positive review of my favorite author's book "Black Man/13", Richard Morgan.
Scott Lynch was the big one. I had never heard of him until this website (which I found by accident). I had heard of R. Scott Bakker and had read all of the American releases of Erikson before coming here about 2 years ago.
The other big find for me from your site was "The Name of the Wind," as I had only heard negative things about it previously. But after being such a big fan of the Farseer Trilogies and realizing that I have begun to enjoy more character driven books, I went ahead and bought it (after reading the first 80 pages in a bookstore while waiting for my wife).
While I cannot say you have a huge amount of influence over my book choices, I will say that I generally agree with how you understand different authors, though you are generally more kind to them then I would be.
I do wonder, though, if you do not really read much of Jennifer Fallon. I have seen little about her on your site and I have enjoyed her various books (I actually found the Second Sons series first). Of course, it could be that I am just missing your reviews of her.
- Ron
It's hard for me to say - like you I keep up with what a number of reviewers are reading and follow their opinions. You have definatelyl been a collaborator with the likes of Jay, Larry, and others when it comes to reviews for Hal Duncan, The Lies of Locke Lamora, and several others. You are one of the few reviewers I'm comfortable judging my own tastes against.
Have you read Buckell yet? He's an author I think you'll enjoy :D
I don't think I've read anything based solely on one of your reviews...yet. Your review of Abercrombie's The Blade Itself has piqued my interest to the point that I think I'm going to pick it up soon.
Hmm, I read Acacia based (partially) on your review and what I heard on NPR. Alas, I didn't think as highly of it as some other folks...too cerebral (a lot of writing about talking rather than just having the dialog) but that's neither here nor there. I have been an Erikson fan for some time, but it's nice to see that there are so many others into such a multi-layered piece. Cheers ~
Well, well, well. . .
It sure looks like this Abercrombie guy owes me more booze than he realizes!;-) The same thing goes for Lynch. . .
And there will have to be a reckoning with Rothfuss. Surely he owes me a drink or three!
Glad to be of service, guys!:-)
I usually read reviews of a book in several places before deciding whether or not to buy it, but I definitely became interested in reading Lynch and Rothfuss from your reviews, like many others here. Also, I hadn't heard of Guy Gavriel Kay before this site and one of your posts on him made me decide I had to get some of his books. Before I got to it, I won Ysabel in one of the contests. I liked it pretty well, and then I picked up Tigana which I absolutely loved so it certainly won't be the last book I buy by him. ;)
This site has definitely at least given me a lot of books to look further into that I hadn't heard of before I found it (off a link on the Science Fiction Book Club blog). Thank you for introducing me to a whole new world of great books at a time when I was beginning to run out of books to try!
No, not you individually. But blog praise in general does get me to buy and read books, and you're one of maybe a dozen bloggers whose opinions particularly count for my reading choices. If you, and Neth, and so on all (or mostly) like a book, I'll give it a serious look. Collectively, bloggers and website reviewers are probably more likely to get me to read a book than any other source (favorite author recs, print reviews, etc).
Our tastes often do coincide, don't they Pat? Thanks for the kudos, btw.
I can say that I may not have Rothfuss if not for you, or at least not as early as I did.
Though I did read Erikson in the past, your "coverage" of the books reinvigorated my interest in them just in time for Tor to catch up to the curve.
I've only been reading for a month now, but you got me to pick up Lies of Locke Lamora -- 1/2way through it right now, and it's quite wonderful. Thanks!
Also: though I'd heard of Erikson before, I've now added him to my 'must-buy' list.
Rob: You've done good by me since long before I even considered creating this blog. As you say, we have similar tastes in books, which explain why we tend to like the same stuff.
My question remains: Why the hell do I have to tell these people to send you review copies!?! With Hobbit, you're one of the big-ass sffworld.com reviewers, after all!;-)
I like your site very much. Can't say our tastes are the same, though, so I don't blindly trust you. For example:
I loved: Lies. Brimming with narrative enthusiasm. Maybe you made me read it, but to be honest there was a whole wave of trustworthy sources.
I hated but respect: Vellum. Vapid Pomo nonsense, but the man can write. Your own reviews seem to be too easily dazzled by the fact that Duncan wields his pen with the skill of a mainstream author, and you are too obsessed about having the genre recognised on such merits. Still, your review is useful enough.
Sorry to have picked up: Name of the Wind. Can't find anything even remotely attractive about it. Granted, your own review was less than enthusiasistic as well, and rereading it I realise that you fail to explain to me what's actually good about the book. So while originally I wanted to blame you ("Pat made me read it…!"), I must fault myself.
Well, after reading your reviews I picked up
The lies of Lock Lamora,
The blade itself
and gardens of the moon (which I yet have to read )
And I don't regret it :)
Hey Pat - i think your reviews and other postings had a great influence of my chosen books. I read Locke Lamora and The Blade Itself. Great books. Thanks
Well, I have not yet purchased anything, but a lot of the books you mentioned are definitely on my wish list. Time is on there too :-(
So thanks!!!!
Negative reviews?
The Name of the Wind review intrigued me, but I waited until opinions started popping up on Wotmania:OF before reading it. Otherwise, and this is a tad harsh, I've never been inclined to read a book based on one of your reviews.
-C
It's gotta be pretty cool that GRRM is saying you need a Hugo nomination.
Well, be away for a few days and I'm surprised my ears weren't burning after this post was made! :P
Like Ken and a few others said, I really don't know, as I have been made aware of many authors around roughly the same time as you and many others are.
As for those "Spanish reviews," I did create a secondary blog for those and my non-genre reads in English, in large part to keep the OF Blog a bit more focused. As for MJH, well...tastes vary and I happen to like his work a bit more than you seem to do ;)
But here's a question/slight friendly challenge for you to do sometime when you have the chance: Review more story collections, since you barely mention any outside of the Martin contest. That and a few more "oldies" being reviewed might be of even greater interest to some here. I know I'm waiting with bated breath for you to review some Gene Wolfe.
And while I'm thinking of it, how about getting some "revenge" on me and reviewing some French-language genre fiction? :P
I picked up Joel Shepherd's Kresnov novels more or less on the basis of the review here at the Hotlist. Don't regret doing so.
I think that's pretty much it, though.
oh! I was influenced from the reviews and the interviews. I picked up
The Lies of Locke Lamora
and now saving money for Red Seas Under Red Skies, The Blade Itself and The Summoner, because to order from Bulgaria is a little complicated.
You were the one responsible for my weeping at 3 a.m. at the end of Erikson's "Deadhouse Gates" (I want a t-shirt that reads "Coltraine lives!") and again two nights later (sometime between 3 and 4 a.m.) at the end of "Memories of Ice" (This t-shirt to read, "Whiskeyjack and Itkovian, True Heroes!"). Thankfully, it was summer school holidays, or I would have been completely a zombie in class.
I've read Abercrombie because of you. I'm purchasing Rothfuss's "Name of the Wind" next pay day because of you.
Your review caused me to read a book that a friend had insisted I read: "Lies of Locke Lamora", and to purchase my copy in hardcover, because the pb version had not yet come out.
I'm trying hard to avoid you these days because I have limited time, what with all the corrections. But I will have two weeks at Christmas, during which I intend to hibernate in my apartment with the pile I shall probably be purchasing on your say-so.
Grand merci.
Pat Made Me Read It.
Larry: There's so much stuff out there I'd like to review, not to mention an immense back log of books waiting to be read on my shelves.
Someone must tell those new upstarts like Lynch, Abercrombie, Rothfuss, Ruckley and others to stop writing for a while, just so I can catch up on my reading!:P
Well, I think it's a few months before any of those release a new one, so maybe you have a few minutes here and there to read 2-3 short stories a day during lunch breaks until a collection is done? ;)
But what I'm waiting for is you to get an ARC of Confessor and reviewing it. Surely that'll happen, right?
Hey Pat, I wouldn't have heard of Scott Lynch or Pat Rothfus without your blog. My library is richer for it. Your blog is like perusing the 'new release' section of the video store with an honest friend who has seen everything.
Well, I add myself to the long line of people who name Lynch, Abercrombie and Rothfuss.
I don't base my book wishes solely on your blog but its entries certainly pique my interest and create the first urges to buy a book.
I came here from malazanempire.com, so I knew about Erikson.
But I definitely read Lynch thanks to you ! Very nice.
Partly because of you, I read Bakker, which I hated.
Partly thanks to you, I'm considering picking up Vellum.
Certainly, There's 2 friends of mine I exchange titles with on a regular basis, but Rothfuss and Sanderson both owe my readership to you. Your accolades for Lynch's and Erikson's work is what made me start following your blog in the first place though.
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