Can you try reviewing City of Bohane by Kevin Barry? The story itself is sparse and there isn’t much to lean on in that regard. The prose are virtuosic but it’s one of the most unique styles I’ve come across — IRISH in all caps. The environment and the emotional provocations the city brings probably takes center stage more than the actual plot (gang war, wife leaves him, old gangster comes back looking for old unrequited love and putting the heel on every hood and connect to Hartlett’s organization/Fancy in the Big Nothin’).
My explicit purpose was to fill the void left by the daily newspaper review, and press the in-depth coverage of ideas that book reviewing allows outside of the narrow circle of professional literary types (LitHub's intended audience). It was the insight of my former bosses, Bob Silvers and Barbara Epstein, that writing about books is a way of writing about serious ideas; all the more necessary in a time of ascendant mini-takes. (I worked at the NYRB from 1988 to 2018.)
Ah, yes, the problem of tepid "books coverage" and the mixed review! Welcome to book journalism in the 21st century. It is the worst of times and...the worst of times. I'm excited about Substack's potential for arts and culture journalism though. Book Post and Sweater Weather have given me hope! Now if we reviewers could just get someone to pay us something (anything) for all our work. Substack gods, are you listening?
Also, another challenge is that almost all the review outlets outside of lit journals want the reviewer to be a published author from the same genre as the book they are reviewing (e.g., editors want a published speculative fiction author to review a speculative fiction book). That makes it hard for would-be critics or even unpublished authors to break into mainstream reviewing. At least I've found it difficult.
Thank you for your piece. I review books of literary merit on themes of nature, climate, and place, and I am often surprised by how few reviews really important and wonderful books get. My supportive subscriber base here on Substack makes my work possible. https://frugalchariot.substack.com/
A brief proposal. I write as a hobby, and am comfortably unpublished. I read voraciously, and have done so for the last twenty or so years. I enjoy reading book reviews when they are well-done, and although I have never written one, I believe I could competently do so. If you put a link to one of your own works which you wish to be reviewed below, I will buy the book, read it, review it, and submit the text of said review to you via email within a month or so. After any editorial suggestions you may have are addressed and satisfied, you publish it here. I do not require a fee; I like what you're suggesting here and would like to pitch in.
I appreciate that! The easier thing may be for you to start your own Substack and publish your thoughts and reviews. You can always seek feedback afterwards. If you've got something to say, get it out there.
I appreciate your perspective and CTA. In the traditional sense, this art may be dead or dying, but I think there are still a large number of people who appreciate it. And your call to people to do it here on Substack is probably the best way to keep it alive. The people on here don't seem interested in just reading the headline, so to speak, and will appreciate work that they can tell was well researched and edited with care.
I’ve been reviewing WWII fiction, which may or may not feel timely: https://open.substack.com/pub/inbooksfascistslose?r=23u45k&utm_medium=ios.
I'm doing my best! Incidentally someone should hire me to review books.
https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/review-lauren-oylers-fake-accounts
https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/review-ross-douthats-the-deep-places
https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/review-jenny-offills-weather
https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/review-electric-wizards-a-tapestry
Can you try reviewing City of Bohane by Kevin Barry? The story itself is sparse and there isn’t much to lean on in that regard. The prose are virtuosic but it’s one of the most unique styles I’ve come across — IRISH in all caps. The environment and the emotional provocations the city brings probably takes center stage more than the actual plot (gang war, wife leaves him, old gangster comes back looking for old unrequited love and putting the heel on every hood and connect to Hartlett’s organization/Fancy in the Big Nothin’).
I just want to see if you can do it.
I'd like to read it at least
Great points Ross. As a writer I long for reviews and as a reader, I really need them.
I publish a newsletter that just reviews books! https://books.substack.com/
My explicit purpose was to fill the void left by the daily newspaper review, and press the in-depth coverage of ideas that book reviewing allows outside of the narrow circle of professional literary types (LitHub's intended audience). It was the insight of my former bosses, Bob Silvers and Barbara Epstein, that writing about books is a way of writing about serious ideas; all the more necessary in a time of ascendant mini-takes. (I worked at the NYRB from 1988 to 2018.)
A good book review is often better then the book!
Ah, yes, the problem of tepid "books coverage" and the mixed review! Welcome to book journalism in the 21st century. It is the worst of times and...the worst of times. I'm excited about Substack's potential for arts and culture journalism though. Book Post and Sweater Weather have given me hope! Now if we reviewers could just get someone to pay us something (anything) for all our work. Substack gods, are you listening?
Also, another challenge is that almost all the review outlets outside of lit journals want the reviewer to be a published author from the same genre as the book they are reviewing (e.g., editors want a published speculative fiction author to review a speculative fiction book). That makes it hard for would-be critics or even unpublished authors to break into mainstream reviewing. At least I've found it difficult.
Thank you for your piece. I review books of literary merit on themes of nature, climate, and place, and I am often surprised by how few reviews really important and wonderful books get. My supportive subscriber base here on Substack makes my work possible. https://frugalchariot.substack.com/
Mr. Barkan,
A brief proposal. I write as a hobby, and am comfortably unpublished. I read voraciously, and have done so for the last twenty or so years. I enjoy reading book reviews when they are well-done, and although I have never written one, I believe I could competently do so. If you put a link to one of your own works which you wish to be reviewed below, I will buy the book, read it, review it, and submit the text of said review to you via email within a month or so. After any editorial suggestions you may have are addressed and satisfied, you publish it here. I do not require a fee; I like what you're suggesting here and would like to pitch in.
-Landini
I appreciate that! The easier thing may be for you to start your own Substack and publish your thoughts and reviews. You can always seek feedback afterwards. If you've got something to say, get it out there.
Duly noted, thank you.
This may sound unlikely, but there are many people - not "few," but many - who write about books like works of art and are not on Substack.
Survey the field first. It is much bigger than you think.
There’s a lot of book reviewing on TikTok apparently.
I appreciate your perspective and CTA. In the traditional sense, this art may be dead or dying, but I think there are still a large number of people who appreciate it. And your call to people to do it here on Substack is probably the best way to keep it alive. The people on here don't seem interested in just reading the headline, so to speak, and will appreciate work that they can tell was well researched and edited with care.
The good news is that the Washington Post is relaunching their stand alone book section - and New Gawker has some interesting literary coverage.