Anne Rice's Position on Reviews

[raingriffin]

Seldom do I really answer those who criticize my work. In fact, the entire development of my career has been fueled by my ability to ignore denigrating and trivializing criticism as I realize my dreams and my goals. However there is something compelling about Amazon's willingness to publish just about anything, and the sheer outrageous stupidity of

Comments

[raingriffin]

I'm not arguing that she shouldn't write whatever she wants. I'm talking about how she acted toward her reviewers and her coddling of her Lestat character. She's basically saying in the fourth paragraph that anyone who disagrees with her are incapable of arguing their point.

[raingriffin]

Yeah, I saw that. However, she's kind of implying that all concrit and any way negative reviews are bad.

And readers will say wonderful things about Blood Canticle and they already are. There are readers out there and plenty of them who cherish the individuality of each of the chronicles which you so flippantly condemn. They can and do talk circles around you.

[arcee8]

What book is this that is being slandered? I'm not fond of her work as well, in fact, I find her writing to be very boring.

But I feel that yes, while this is completely in her right, it is a little juvenile and beneath her as a very well-known published author to write a response on the Internet to some one who doesn't like her work. I'd have to see what they posted though...it could have been warranted.

[raingriffin]

Blood Canticle

Above, along with the reviews. From what I've read, most of the ones who disagreed with her with certain points were literate and thoughtful. There was the occasional slanderer, but not enough to warrant an attack like this. Perhaps, one per page of about three hundred comments? Most of whom enjoyed her book?

I mean, I don't think of her being childish as responding to this, but her childishness was responding in such a manner like this - kind of like the authors who write a chapter in their fanfiction blasting pretty much anyone who disagrees with them, instead of responding to each query individually or perhaps questioning why they thought this way. I love authors who ask why to their reviewers. It also picks out the good reviewers from the bad - the ones that can respond clearly and thoughtfully are the best.

[smirnoffmule]

Yeah, I was reminded of a whiny ficcer too. If people are accusing the work of doing being her own, I think she has a right to answer, but the rest of it really smacked of "OMG you guys are so mean! I don't want mean people reading my stuff anyway!" And basically that she doesn't care about anyone except for the people who say wonderful things about her. It does come off as really arrogant. A published author ought to be better at sucking up criticism than that, and God knows Anne Rice should have had enough practise ;p

[smirnoffmule]

Uh, that should read "if people are accusing the work of *not* being her own. I write English good.

[jigglypuff]

I don't really like Anne Rice; she's always struck me as an egotistical bitch, especially with her anti-fanfiction status. Yes, she's within her rights to say no; but she should be encouraging her fandom, not telling them "No, bitches, you can't write about my characters". They're all lame, anyway. D:

[arcee8]

Yeah, I was dumbfounded when I found out that she didn't allow fanfiction. What a load of crap.

I mean, writing fanfiction was the basis of my own writing. If I didn't feel compelled by someone else's amazing story, I don't think I would have been inspired to create my own stories.

If someone wanted to use my characters in a story, I would be amazingly flattered.

[raingriffin]

Well, there are admittedly legal issues. However, writers like J.K. Rowling take a "you can write it, I just won't read it" attitude to keep them from getting sued. She's very flattered about people using her characters.

[arcee8]

Well, of course. If people started making money with my characters or started distributing stories with my characters and parading them around as their own, I would obviously have some issues with that, legal and otherwise.