Why literary critics like me have to ignore their own tastes when reviewing a book

I'm currently reviewing a romance novel, which is far from my favourite genre, prompting a conflict between reader and reviewer in my mind

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my job is getting to review books. I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel a frisson of excitement when I received my first advanced reader copy – a version of a novel sent out to reviewers before the book’s official release. But here’s the thing: while I love reading, and while I love most books, I don’t love reading all books.

As a reader, I I try to cast as wide a net as possible. I like challenging myself every once in a while by reading out of my comfort zone. And as a reviewer, I educate myself as much as possible across various genres. That’s part of the job. But it doesn’t change the fact that some types of books will resonate with me more than others. For example, there are few things I enjoy more than dark, beautifully written literary thrillers with complex female characters and a subtle sense of suspense. Not every book I review is going to fit that bill – and that’s why I’ve had to learn to set my personal preferences aside.

The book I am reading currently, for which I will soon write a review, is a romance. I have learned that, as a reader, I do not particularly enjoy romance novels. (I love romantic tension on-screen, but it just doesn’t do it for me on paper.) Still, when I write my review, my personal lack of affinity with the genre shouldn’t matter (and I am doing my best to ensure that it won’t).

You can’t fault a book for being what it is. That means that you definitely can’t fault a romance novel for being, well, romantic. You can’t fault it for adhering to its genre’s tropes and characteristics. The question I am asking myself, then: is this novel a good romance? Does it do what it’s supposed to do, and does it do it well? How’s the writing? How’s the character development? Does it bring something new to the table?

(The answer to all of these, for the romance novel I’m currently reading, are: yes, yes, yes, good, pretty great, and definitely.)

Of course, my experience as a reader – that feeling you get when you can’t stop turning the pages and you will your eyes to stay open because you want to read just one more chapter – still plays a part. But good writing and great plotting can make that magic happen regardless of a book’s genre. For the rest, the reader in me must defer to the reviewer.

Yours,

Clemence Michallon

US culture writer