Discussion How to ,,judge" a novel/fiction/fan fiction?

I don't think a novel must have unique settings to be better than the novel which had the original settings

 

1.World creation
2. Linguistics
3. Morality
4. Randomness
5. Boardum

 

I read the synopsis
I check how many chapters it have
I also check it's update rate

And then I read it

 

Most reviews are crap, even my own review with the most likes is hardly even a review of the actual novel (WMW) but more of a rebuttal to other reviews (which, to be fair, were even worse). If I remember correctly it looked even a bit like fanboyism, and since WMW came to become of the more popular / mainstream novels these kinds of "reviews" get the most likes since the people who already like the novel will agree with what's being said.

And I quote my "review" (with 164 likes as of this moment by the way):

So informative


Personally what I look for is reviews that contain spoilery snippets from the actual novel so I can see for myself if the reviewer can actually back up his claims. Unfortunately for some novels you really shouldn't get any spoilers to get the most out of it, and sometimes people do take things out of context so it doesn't even work 100% of the time either.

 

Morals differ from race to race or people to people

 

For me its:
1. Look at cover.
Sometimes it can tell tales.
2.Read all very bad and very good rewievs.
Most 5 and 1 rewievs are done by kids and its obvious if writer is serious in first few words so you can avoid reading useless stuff. This will tell you what to expect.
3.Read rewievs that have different rating than 1 or 5.
Things writen here are more likely truth, tells you more about story/characters Shows both good and bad at once.
4.Read first chapter.
Take 10 minutes of your time to read it.
5.Read next chapter.
If you didnt drop it yet it should be ok.
6.Repeat step 5.
You can always drop series in the middle. If it stops being enjoyable you shouldnt force it. Give yourself brake and return to it in a week if you think it is worth your time.

 

I typically judge a novel with 3 major factors in mind: The plot (pacing, progression, etc), characters (development, interest, etc), and setting. Originality of course plays a role as does overall writing (grammar/word choice/structure-phrasing), but those are more sub-categories of the three. By considering these factors regardless of the novel, I can fashion a somewhat objective view of the quality of the novel.

 

exactly although if they are interesting or boring is something that I can form a personal opinion on

 

I get the impression that you feel you should be able to analyze series more in-depth, and are asking how.

For one, I think there is no reason to force yourself. Save your analysis for the series you really want to analyze. There is 10 times more to say about a series with great writing, characters and world-building, than a series of equal length that just fills itself with tropes and repetitive content. If a series makes you feel something 'special' about it, then feel free to explore what that is. The process is much more enjoyable then (though of course, critiquing things done badly can also be enjoyable, but even then it's better to start with series that are at least worth critiquing).

I consider myself a pretty logical/scientific person too, but in fact enjoyment of a series is in the end based on human emotions. If you find yourself enjoying the characters in a series a lot, try to analyze how they're written differently then. Same with the worldbuilding, the plot, and anything else. If on the contrary, something vexes you much more than usual, feel free to analyze That as well, you may just refine your critical sense for bad writing.

After that, it's practice makes perfect really. You'll eventually be able to easily identify the things you enjoy or don't, and be able to list them out clearly. You may also then be able to distinguish more clearly when a series does something different.

 

Honestly, aslong as there's no alarm bells going off in your head screaming "WHAT IS THIS, HOW DID THIS, WHEN" , you shouldn't worry about analysing. Since enjoying the novel at your own pace is best. If u read up some chapters, get some questions, then there's reason for it. Otherwise , just enjoy!

If we're talking how to pass a judgement over a novel;
most of the above mentioned (Plot, characters, pace, setting, completeness) will do but keep in mind that it's a personal judgement.
No need to tell other people off.

 

Everyone has their own tastes and what's good is subjective. That said, there are retards out there who have no business writing any sort of review. This I'm sure all of us have thought at some point whilst browsing a review giving 5 stars to a worthless isekai or wuxia story written by another retard of an author who had no business writing anything.

While the field of literature teems with limitless possibilities to bring satisfaction to readers, the standards for a good story do not change. That is to say a good story will most certainly satisfy its reader, but a bad story can also bring satisfaction depending on the reader.

To get the most out of the review system, you must first form an opinion of your own on a work, or several works. The more, the better. What do you like about it and what do you dislike about it? Why? Then you find a review that agrees with your opinion and follow that reviewer. If this reviewer who shares your tastes likes something, odds are you'll like it too.

But it may also benefit you to read the reviews of novels you don't like as they can provide insight and details into the story that you might have overlooked. The theme of Kekkai Sensen would have gone right over my head if I hadn't read the review on ANN. These perspectives broaden your world and really influence your tastes.

 

thas why its at the end of the list

 

I think the key to using reviews is understanding what you are looking for and what you like and dislike . Sometimes a review will criticize a novel for what I like, or will say that what I like detracts from the story and bingo I know to read it. sometimes a review will praise a novel for what I dislike and boom, off the reading list. sometimes a reviewer says a lot of things I am specifically looking for and seems to be a person after my own heart. Then it's like they are speaking directly to me about the novel and it's great.

Whatever the case is you should be firm in knowing what you like or dislike. if you aren't sure what you like or dislike, or can be easily misled by other people, reviews aren't the best thing imo. Some novel you may really enjoy could get a salty review from someone who's into a completely different genre of novels. If you listen to that review and never try it, you would have missed out on a fantastic novel.

 

For physical books, I read the synopsis on the back, and the first few pages to see how the writing style is.
Online novels: again, synopsis, and then I read the 1-2 star reviews to see whether there are some key elements I avoid mentioned in them. If not, I go on and read.
And fanfiction: I go by my OTP, synopsis and maturity rating. If the synopsis has no grammatical mistakes, I go for it.

 

my way to judge it,.
1. read the synopsis,
2. read the review
3. check how many chapters it has
4. check update rate
5. enjoy it or not

 

Read it
Like it
Give thumbs up

Read it
Hate it
No comment
Just leave

Simple <3

 

fumu.. in the first place there is no way to judge it if we don't read it by ourselves

 

Of course, what r u thinking judging a book by its cover?

At least read the first page

 

I usually try to think of what "narrative tools" the author uses. Some of them, for example, brutally abuse cliff hangers at the ends of chapters. Others somehow manage to juggle hundreds of checkov guns at the same time. Others have great realism in their characters. Others have unrealistic but fun characters.

Each novel also tends to appeal to a different "mood"; many times I recognize a novel to be great, but unfit for my current mood.

In the end, I try to judge a novel by how enjoyable it manages to be, hopefully without having to rely on "cheap" narrative tools. That being said, I'd take a novel with cliches before one with "well developped world, characters, ..." if it manages to be more enjoyable; bad tools can make miracles in the right hands.

 

How i judge
1) i read reviews just to get amused
2) read it
3 ) i still read it if i like and i drop it if i don't like
And that's it ... I have enough time to spare time on a novel to see if i like it or if it's back , i would abandon it if it gets annoying though without remorse for the time spend