Following on from three recent posts (this, this and this one) today's is a post about context, as in circumstances or background, and how that relates to our appreciation of a book. Specifically, it's on the subject of cover copy or blurb, or the quoted remarks of reviewers/well-known writers on the book's merits, but additionally I'd mention the puffs on the proof and in the press release - consumers won't see these but reviewers do. It is the job of the publicist or marketing department to make a strong case for the book they are promoting, to 'sell' it, offering up its good side and glossing over any deficiencies; we understand that they must show their product in a positive light, but when they try too hard, when their enthusiasm leads to creating expectations in the reader which the book cannot meet, they have set the bar too high, let down the reader and failed the writer.
I look at the press releases which come with so many of the books I talk about here - some are well-judged, moderate, highly complimentary but measured; others are so far over the top that when I've taken them in good faith and approached the book expecting something really special [because I'm naive and trusting!], I am often disappointed. The marketing people would have done a better job for their writers by tempering their claims, because judged in relation to what they have said about it, i.e. taken in that context, the book has been found wanting.
The opposite end of the spectrum is where there is no context, or it is sufficiently unusual or 'untethered' for the consumer (in the widest sense) to have nothing to go on other than their own judgement which, because of that relative vacuum, is uninformed. What I'm getting at here are examples of "art without a frame" such as the famous incident of Joshua Bell playing incognito at a subway station - a few people stopped for a moment to listen, some gave a coin or two, almost no-one realised that this was one of the most famous and talented violinists in the world, one whose audiences typically spend considerable sums of money for a ticket to hear him (and see what Joshua Bell says about his own expectations as the exercise progressed). Likewise, the instance of literary agents and publishers being sent (under an unknown name) manuscripts which were in fact pages of Jane Austen but with names of characters and places changed. Those reading the chapters and synopses had nothing to go on (and this would be the case with most first novels, too) other than their own judgement and knowledge, but almost without exception, the work was not recognised for what it was and it was rejected.
So we look for clues, for bearings, telling us what sort of territory we are in. Without those things we have only our own critical faculties, however sharp or dull they may be, and I'm mindful of this when I write about books here, hopefully not raising expectations in your minds - as potential readers of the book - but being careful and honest about it, setting it in context, albeit the fairly personal, subjective one of this website.
I wish I could get hold of books that don't have someone else's condensed opinion of them printed on the covers; indeed I find them so off-putting that I have been known to put a book back on the library/bookshop shelf if they are what I would consider (in an entirely unsubstantiated way I will admit) over-effusive. I am quite keen to read by active choice what people I have empathy with will say about a book, both positive and negative, and I still enjoy reading book reviews in newspapers & magazines. I am quite keen to not be forced to have clues or bearings if I don't want them. I suppose there isn't an option for hiding the book blurb under a scratch-off cover is there?
Posted by: Dark Puss | 13 February 2011 at 04:48 PM
I agree partly with DP except I find those off-putting cover blurbs very useful in sieving out the 'please save me from this' group.
I'm not totally surprised by the anecdotes about the Violinist and Jane Austen (now that is a possible book title!). Context is important in deciding the value of art - part of being human I guess.
Posted by: Sandy | 13 February 2011 at 07:51 PM
The enthusiastic quotes on the back of books don't often do much for me - unless it's from a writer I admire which does give some context to the enthusiasm. One of my problems with the tv book club is that I really don't care what Gok Wan or similar think of a book, and won't until I know a lot more about their reading habits.
Bloggers enthusiasm is a different matter because it's so much easier to see where interests meet or overlap and because I can ask questions of the blogger. Context it seems is everything.
Posted by: Desperate Reader | 15 February 2011 at 11:06 AM
Good point about the celebrities, Hayley, and it is one of the strengths of the blogs that we can get to know so much about the taste of the blogger vis-a-vis our own.
Posted by: Cornflower | 15 February 2011 at 08:46 PM