Do you read and/or recommend reading reviews after reading Books? Why or why not

1. 84

   anusha15posted 11 years ago

   Do you read and/or recommend reading reviews after reading Books? Why or why not?
   
   Generally one would like to check out positive and critical reviews of the books before purchasing/reading it. But have you ever done taken the lesser traditional path? Have you ever felt the need for having a look at what others are saying about your latest read?? Why would you do that? Just to check whether your opinion matches others? Have you felt benefitted by doing this? How?

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2. 87

   dezalyxposted 11 years ago

   When I read books that are in bestseller lists, I like to read the reviews just to find out why people like it. I think it has helped me in that I get to understand other people's perspectives on the contents of the book. I have never been the type who likes poetry and gets hidden meanings behind them, so the reviews help and give me something to ponder about that I didn't get by myself.

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      anusha15posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Wow, those were two important points. Reasons of other people's likes and dislikes can widen the spectrum of our own perspective, and definitely might help clarifying certain complex elements.

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3. 72

   lburmasterposted 11 years ago

   I would only check if it was my new favorite. But then again, I would try not to. What if someone doesn't like the book for the same reasons that I adore it? Sometimes it is just better not knowing and judging for yourself. Reviews could even open your eyes to flaws in the pages thus ruining your happiness when reading the novel. All joy would be lost.

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   1. 84

      anusha15posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      True! Sometimes, we might be so engaged with/attached to the character/plot that criticism, especially if not logical, is highly unacceptable

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   2. 72

      lburmasterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly!

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4. 0

   Old Empresarioposted 11 years ago

   I think that's a great idea. Another person's perspective on a book might unlock something that will make you want to read the book again in order to fully understand it.

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   1. 84

      anusha15posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Agreed! Specially when the book has more than complicated angles - say a complex situation in a plot

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5. 0

   Giselle Maineposted 11 years ago

   I have only read a review AFTER reading the book in one instance (but recently - within the past month).  In this situation, it was a book which had been talked about a lot (e.g. people saying "if you like this type of genre you will like this particular book"). I didn't read any reviews before the book - had just HEARD of the book in a very positive light.  To my surprise, the book wasn't really that good, and in my opinion, not on the same level as others of that genre (had some gaping plot holes, etc etc, while other parts of the plot were all too predicatable).  After I finished reading the book, I thought "Gosh, I wonder why people liked it so much?"  So I read a review to figure out why.  I still didn't really figure it out (probably just a difference in personal tastes), but I was VERY relieved that I hadn't read the review beforehand.  This is because the review gave away some of the set-up and the plot (not major parts, but still stuff I that I believe was best discovered by the reader during the book, not by the review).

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   1. 84

      anusha15posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah, that happens with me too. People's different tastes as well as other factors like cultural differences attribute to sea difference in opinions. But like minded opinions can be very satisfactory

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