On reviews, author, April Taylor, says, ‘I must admit up front that I never, ever, read my reviews. What is the point? Whether they portray the good, bad or the ugly, I cannot alter things. So, it was something of a novelty for me to change the habits of a lifetime and read some.’
April chose Crime and Punishment in Tudor England, the first book she wrote for Pen and Sword, to do the brickbats and bouquets comparison, and dives right in with the brickbat, which she admits made her laugh. She goes on to add, ‘Since the most critical review was a 3*, I was quite chuffed, and if we are going to get hung up on statistics, the average review for this book is 4.3 out of 5.’
The review says in part:
“a variety of facts and figures, but the presentation comes across as dry
and tedious.”
Pointing to
the review’s opening words:
“A dry
novel…”
April
wonders if the reviewer had really read the book, which is plainly not a novel.
And maybe this reader also skipped the Introduction, which makes clear this is
a book for dipping into, not reading in one sitting.
‘Talk about
being praised with faint damns,’ April said, noting that the review comprised
fewer lines than it had stars. She added, ‘Since most other reviews mention the
low-key wit/humour, I was a little perplexed this person thought it dry and
tedious. You see, this is why I never read reviews, because this is just one
person’s opinion, and we all know the saying about those, don’t we? I am
extremely happy it does not appear to be an opinion shared by other reviewers.
But at least it made me smile.’
For the
bouquet side, April points to a review by a writer of medieval historical non-fiction,
whose opinion she respects.
“…it
really is an impressive tome. It is thorough and well referenced and is written
in a lively, entertaining writing style, with a fair amount of wit thrown in
for good measure.”
This reviewer includes a warning for readers:
“I do have to warn you: this book is not to
be read while eating, unless you have a strong stomach. April Taylor includes
descriptions of the various methods of execution, including beheading, hanging,
burning and the particularly gruesome method of boiling alive!”
April sums up her historical non-fiction
writing by saying, ‘I feel when you are writing history, which could easily
become dry and tedious, not to mention gruesome, a quick giggle
here and there can lift the mood. Let’s face it, there is little to laugh about
when reading or witnessing someone being boiled alive, is there? Unless we
remember the immortal Kenneth Williams’ last line in Carry On Screaming,
when he falls into a boiling vat and emerges briefly to shout, “Frying
Tonight”.
‘And, to be fair to medieval folk who generally
loved a good hanging, when Richard Roose was boiled alive, the whole
spectacle was too strong even for their stomachs. They left in droves, and the
parliamentary act was repealed a few years later.’
Read more about April Taylor HERE.
