Comments on: Damning with great praise

By: Em-Musing

Em-Musing — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:58:44 +0000

Hype is good for sales. Not always so for readers. Don't usually fall prey.

By: J.D. Deshaw

J.D. Deshaw — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 01:36:30 +0000

Word of mouth is extremely powerful and when I hear a lot of people–especially people that I respect–praising something, I am automatically interested. However, when the hype is huge, I'm skeptical. I always go into these kinds of adventures very negatively. I ask the books to simply impress me a little bit. I look for what makes it so good to so many people. Harry Potter impressed me. Twilight did not. I'm hoping, whenever I get my hands on Hunger Games, that it impresses me as well. I expect the worst so that it can thrive!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:30:49 +0000

I got just 3 words for you:

The Fifth Sorceress.

:P

By: Kristin Laughtin

Kristin Laughtin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:11:08 +0000

I think we risk being disappointed by anything that's overly hyped, whether it's books or music or movies or something else. The hype makes us have higher expectations going in than we would otherwise, and sometimes as a result, we look for flaws. Or we become skeptical and almost will ourselves not to like the thing in question. Or we feel saddened or betrayed if we just don't like it as much as everyone else seems to. We expect overhyped things to be perfect, but nothing is, so we're disappointed.

By: Teri

Teri — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:11:27 +0000

I know exactly what you mean about "the hype." I wrote about it on my blog as well http://tericarter.wordpress.com

I was most troubled (irritated?) by the 3 reviews by the NYT. Overkill. All this makes me, sadly, very skeptical.

By: Clix

Clix — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:58:55 +0000

Not me. I heard all kinds of great things about Hunger Games before I read it and I liked it. I heard all kinds of great things about Catching Fire before I read it and I didn't like it nearly as much.

By: Wildheit

Wildheit — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:31:21 +0000

When a book disappoints me, I (like to) think my judgment is based on more objective grounds than a book/author not living up to its hype. But in those cases where I get disappointed, the feeling is bigger, goes deeper, and lasts longer and definitely has a touch of feeling cheated. If anything it impacts my spending behaviour, because I won't easily be convinced to buy another book from that author.

By: Ariana Richards

Ariana Richards — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:27:50 +0000

I think you have a good point. Too much positive...no...raving...media hype about anything can be detrimental. I know several people who won't read popular book series' because they don't want to look like they're jumping on the bandwagon (yeah, Mockingjay, Twilight, etc).

And for those who do choose to read anyway, when the hype is that great, it's almost seems like its easier to be disappointed. Like nothing can live up to those kinds of promises.

So short answer to your question - yes, it definitely can.