Comments on: Give It Up, Maslin http://www.edrants.com/give-it-up-maslin/ a blog in ever-shifting standing Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:27:32 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Judith Fitzgerald http://www.edrants.com/give-it-up-maslin/comment-page-1/#comment-248793 Judith Fitzgerald Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:49:07 +0000 http://www.edrants.com/?p=9355#comment-248793 James: A cruddy review? I brag to differ. It bombs. You may quibblicate concerning Edward's <i>modus operandi</i>; however, the substance of his objection/s remains irrefutably sound. Look no further than this glerror in the bloody lead, fer chrissakes: "It’s nothing particularly showy or strenuous." <i>Quoi?</i> Glibberish (NTM grammatically incorrect. That sentence ought to read: It's nothing particularly showy <b>n</b>or strenuous). Why deploy the passive? What purpose does that particular adverb serve? The piece stinks, period. Provide readers with *something* showy or strenuous, SVP (if only to prove you both know and mean what you say). No need to force the fact the POS goes steadily downhell from those dead zingers and continues to wallow in its offensively smellacious hell which, disfartunately, malodorously lingers. IOW? The reviewer stalls at square none and remains consistently undone on one rancidly fetid stun. Someone ought to have cut that bombastic-blue effluvia of dullicious dregma passing for nothing more than gaseously flatulent fart-flaps forever caught in the divine sewers stinking to high heavens involving some terminally odorwhelming mephitic clap-traps. A-meh. -- http://booksinq.blogspot.com James: A cruddy review? I brag to differ. It bombs. You may quibblicate concerning Edward’s modus operandi; however, the substance of his objection/s remains irrefutably sound. Look no further than this glerror in the bloody lead, fer chrissakes: “It’s nothing particularly showy or strenuous.” Quoi? Glibberish (NTM grammatically incorrect. That sentence ought to read: It’s nothing particularly showy nor strenuous). Why deploy the passive? What purpose does that particular adverb serve?

The piece stinks, period. Provide readers with *something* showy or strenuous, SVP (if only to prove you both know and mean what you say).

No need to force the fact the POS goes steadily downhell from those dead zingers and continues to wallow in its offensively smellacious hell which, disfartunately, malodorously lingers.

IOW? The reviewer stalls at square none and remains consistently undone on one rancidly fetid stun. Someone ought to have cut that bombastic-blue effluvia of dullicious dregma passing for nothing more than gaseously flatulent fart-flaps forever caught in the divine sewers stinking to high heavens involving some terminally odorwhelming mephitic clap-traps. A-meh.
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http://booksinq.blogspot.com

]]> By: James http://www.edrants.com/give-it-up-maslin/comment-page-1/#comment-248780 James Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:44:03 +0000 http://www.edrants.com/?p=9355#comment-248780 Sure, it's a cruddy review, but your numbered points don't really sum up why. For example, faulting Maslin's attempt to capture <i>2666</i>'s long sentences isn't fair--she acknowledges his skill, and hers can't be expected to measure up. And tearing her apart for writing that Bolaño “would now be enjoying literary superstar status if fate had been kinder,” misses the mark too. She doesn't say he's not a superstar, just that he's not around to enjoy his status. Unless you're an ardent believer in an afterlife, there's not much to criticize there. Mainly, Maslin's review was lame because it was so cursory, and wasted much of its limited word count remarking on reaction to the book rather than on the book itself. Sure, it’s a cruddy review, but your numbered points don’t really sum up why. For example, faulting Maslin’s attempt to capture 2666’s long sentences isn’t fair–she acknowledges his skill, and hers can’t be expected to measure up. And tearing her apart for writing that Bolaño “would now be enjoying literary superstar status if fate had been kinder,” misses the mark too. She doesn’t say he’s not a superstar, just that he’s not around to enjoy his status. Unless you’re an ardent believer in an afterlife, there’s not much to criticize there.

Mainly, Maslin’s review was lame because it was so cursory, and wasted much of its limited word count remarking on reaction to the book rather than on the book itself.

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