“There was this exotic species of journalist known as ‘Books Editor’, now sadly nearly extinct, whose sole remit was to read books, commission reviews, and attend launches”
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The lit fest season is here, and like some migratory birds seen only in winter, books and authors are enjoying more conversational space, beyond the editorial equivalent of a wildlife sanctuary — the reviews section.
A quarter century ago, when I got my first byline as a book critic, almost every respectable newspaper and magazine had at least one weekly page, if not more, devoted to book reviews. There was this exotic species of journalist known as ‘Books Editor’, now sadly nearly extinct, whose sole remit was to read books, commission reviews, and attend launches. They would be courted by publishers in the morning, authors in the afternoon, and colleagues at all times of the day — begging to borrow a book from the growing pile of new titles on their desks.
The books page had no overt links to politics or business, nor was it comparable to the op-ed pages in terms of influence. Yet it was closely followed, and drew attention disproportionate to its acknowledged importance in the publication’s scheme of things editorially, commercially, or budget-wise. It was seen as adding intellectual heft to the publication’s brand identity.
Over the years, a number of factors have combined to erode the prominence and space that books commanded, with The Hindu being one of the exceptions. The first was a general sense that people are spending less time consuming books. Another was the exit of many small, independent publishing houses that encouraged unusual, local talent. Lastly, a pronounced tilt toward commercial non-fiction and market-tested genre fiction on the part of the big publishers left little scope for controversial works that could spark elaborate debates. At the same time, authors (and not just publishers) began to think of a review as a publicity prop rather than as a journalistic form with its own literary attributes.
One outcome of all this was that the negative review, especially the one where the reviewer would, with justification, take the author to the cleaners, has become rare. The norm today is the favourable review. If the book is bad, the reviewer either gives a neutral synopsis of the book or does a balancing act by sandwiching the criticism between praise — this way the reader is forewarned, the writer gets blurb-worthy lines, and the reviewer is seen as ‘objective’.
But what I have learned over years of reviewing is that being objective is not the same as being fair. Those who confused the two often became susceptible to what the legendary film critic Pauline Kael termed “saphead objectivity”. A fair response to a terrible book is a proper pasting, and there is nothing objective about it. But that’s more likely in a literary culture where writers, critics, and publishers are attuned to a robust tradition of dishing it out as well as taking it on the chin and readers appreciate the exchange, as happened during my stint as books editor with a now-defunct daily.
I had commissioned the review of a novel to a freelancer who, I learnt only later, had some history with the novelist. When the review came in, I was stunned by how harsh it was. I had my doubts, but there was deadline pressure, and I decided to back the reviewer’s judgment. We went with it. The writer, an influential figure, did not like it. But he was quick to share it on Facebook. The terrible (for him) review garnered extensive publicity for the book.
But not all authors are sporting when it comes to negative reviews. Many take it personally. Though painful to the writer, well written critical reviews, more than the positive ones, add to the treasury of anecdotes and folklore that nourish a literary community. Not too long ago, the sort of banter between writers and critics we now witness at lit fest panels used to unfold on the books pages of newspapers. If books sections are to reclaim something of their erstwhile glory days, fair yet critical reviews would certainly help.
sampath.g@thehindu.co.in
Published – January 24, 2025 01:34 am IST
