Those of you who are my friends on Goodreads know about the
issues I have with the number rating system. Goodreads asks you to rate a book
on a five star scale: five is “it was amazing;” four is “I really liked it;”
three is “I liked it;” two is “it was ok;” and one is “I didn’t like it.”
Recently I have received some criticism for not rating books
highly enough. I give mostly fours, and only rarely do I give a book a five. I do
this because I want to be able to really distinguish a book that rocked my
world from all the other books I have enjoyed.
The criticism seems to come from the perception that getting 4 stars is
like getting a B in school.
So part of my struggle involves determining how many stars
to give a book, but I also struggle with the very idea of numerically measuring a book based
on how much I “like” it. The truth is that I look for different kind of reading
experiences at different moments for different reasons. I can “not like” a book
because it’s the wrong book for my mood, or because there’s something
unsatisfying about it, or because it’s not my cup of tea. How can you tell the
difference between all of those reasons for “not liking” something?
Here’s an example: sometimes I am in the mood for a quick
treat of a book – something easy and simple -- like a thriller or a book about four old
friends connecting at a beach house. The point of reading that book at a
particular moment is to relax. I read it because it’s perfect for that occasion.
Sometimes, however, I am in the mood for a complex piece of
literature – something that makes me think deeply or feel deeply or see the
world in a new way. This book might be difficult or challenging or
uncomfortable.
If I read either book at the wrong moment, I might not “like”
it. So how do I rate a “wrong book at
the wrong time?” Similarly, if I read each book at the right moment, are they
both five stars? Does a deep, complex, moving piece of literature get rated the
same as an easy, breezy, formulaic read that hits the spot?
I won’t be giving number ratings here, because they just
don’t work for me. But what do YOU think? Does rating a book numerically help
you? What kind of information do those ratings give you?
3 comments:
Testing
Testing2
I agree, Jennifer. I would have a different rating for almost every genre and age range. When I read a book to my 7-year-old daughter, it may be a 3- or even 2-star book to me but if Audrey clearly loves it, it moves up in my appreciation. And I love thrillers and sci-fi and fully enjoy them but to say that The Bourne Identity" and "One Day in the Life Ivan Denisovich" are both 5s points out the inadequacies of the system. Same goes for movies. I love a good superhero movie, but I recognize that they're pretty stupid.
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