For someone who's had the level of success I've had, there's been very little critical review of my work, which is pretty fascinating.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
It's enormously cheering to get a good review by someone who seems to understand your work.
If there's criticism of my work that's legitimate. I'm ready to hear of it.
What I really like is an intelligent review. It doesn't have to be positive. A review that has some kind of insight, and sometimes people say something that's startling or is so poignant.
Writing is exhilarating, but reading reviews is not. I've been really devastated by 'good' reviews because they misunderstand the project of the book. It can be strangely galvanising to get a 'bad' one.
What I do find enormously gratifying is the reviews my books get from the American press. They are so on the ball compared to anywhere else. It's so satisfying to get a review that conveys the reader understood precisely what I was trying to get at.
I made the decision to take on board the critical feedback. Reviews are something you can easily ignore as a performer or writer but I chose to not ignore them here and I think that I benefited. I think I'm stronger for it - and I have a tougher skin as a result.
A great review is great. A bad review is the worst.
Fortunately, I've never had to be too critical of my own work, because the world is critical enough.
I would be far more critical than any reviewer could be of my own work. So I simply don't read them.
I never read reviews at all. I'm proud of the work I did.