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kottke.org posts about reviews

The Spaghetti Book Club

posted by Ainsley Drew   Mar 31, 2009

A review of Cinderella, by Shanie, age six:

One day there was going to be a fancy ball. Cinderella wasn’t going to get to go, but then something very exciting happened. I liked to read this book because I like fairy tales. I also like to read about evil people. It’s exciting and a little scary. I would recommend this book about Cinderella to my mom because she likes to do chores.

The Spaghetti Book Club provides book reviews “by kids, for kids.” It’s incredible. The kid-crafted illustrations that accompany the reviews are just as fridge-worthy.

Reconsidered!

posted by Choire Sicha   Jan 18, 2008

One of the problems of criticism is—what happens when it takes you just forever to realize that something is totally great? It took me until this week, and lots of it cropping up on shuffle, to realize that the latest PJ Harvey album, “White Chalk,” is absolutely her best. (Okay, second best—maybe nothing will ever be as cool as “Rid Of Me,” if only because who writes rock music in 5/4? ) Back in September, Pitchfork gave “White Chalk” a 6.8, and I would have given it a worse score even as recently as December. But of course, what does anyone know? “Uh Huh Her” got a 7.6, her Peel Sessions got a 7.9, “Stories from the City…” got a 5.5 and “Is This Desire?” got an Pitchfork 8.

Paul tries to figure out why people

posted by Jason Kottke   Aug 19, 2005

Paul tries to figure out why people review products at Amazon that have already been reviewed by several people. “What motivates someone to submit the 1,282nd review of The Poisonwood Bible to Amazon.com?”

The Amateur Gourmet celebrates a year of

posted by Jason Kottke   Aug 09, 2005

The Amateur Gourmet celebrates a year of eating in NYC with a list of his restaurant reviews. Judging by the length of the list, an upgrade from amateur status might be in order.

Steven Shapin reviews Tom Standage’s A History

posted by Jason Kottke   Jul 28, 2005

Steven Shapin reviews Tom Standage’s A History of the World in 6 Glasses, a “social life of beverages”. Standage is one of my favorite technology/culture writers; he wrote about the telegraph in The Victorian Internet.

The Blurb Racket is a weekly roundup

posted by Jason Kottke   Jun 02, 2005

The Blurb Racket is a weekly roundup of movie blurbs put back into context. “…Travolta is as smooth as ever…” is actually “…although Travolta is as smooth as ever, the picture is a bust, a grimly unfunny comedy with no connection to reality, and worst of all, running on and on for two dismal hours”.

“A sampling of what prominent film critics

posted by Jason Kottke   May 31, 2005

“A sampling of what prominent film critics wrote in their reviews of the earlier ‘Star Wars’ films”.

Anthony Lane slams Revenge of the Sith

posted by Jason Kottke   May 16, 2005

Anthony Lane slams Revenge of the Sith in the New Yorker this week. “The general opinion of ‘Revenge of the Sith’ seems to be that it marks a distinct improvement on the last two episodes, ‘The Phantom Menace’ and ‘Attack of the Clones’. True, but only in the same way that dying from natural causes is preferable to crucifixion.” Ouch.

Gladwell reviews Everything Bad is Good for

posted by Jason Kottke   May 10, 2005

Gladwell reviews Everything Bad is Good for You for the New Yorker.