Here is a discussion starter:
When did you first become aware of Harriet Klausner's reviews, and what made you decide to comment on them?
Rarely does my reading taste overlap with Harriet Klausner, but occasionally she will review a book that I've read, for example Travels In the Scriptorium by Paul Auster and House of Meetings by Martin Amis. I had noticed her reviews around Amazon for the past couple of years but it was in February of 2007 that they really began to annoy me. I noticed a couple of comments on one of her reviews; John Sollami was commenting, Brandie Bahn, Moira and a few others. I left a comment saying how relieved I was to see that I was not alone in my intense dislike of HK's reviews. The rest, as they say, is history...
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6 comments:
I didn't know anything about HK. As you know, a couple of years back I'd noticed the good works on my dear friends John Matlock "Gunny" and W.Boudville. Then, at some point and purely out of curiosity, I googled on "amazon review (scam OR joke OR shill)" and immediately bumped into a number of HK-related lamentations.
Just who is anonymous anyway?
Anyone who doesn't want to log in, or doesn't have a login account on blogspot. It's not one person, it can be anyone. You too can post as 'anonymous', just log out and post a comment.
jjjs
Matter of fact, I just noticed, you don't even have to log out: when you're logged in, it gives you several posting options, one of which is 'anonymous'.
I noticed HK about 3 years ago when she would review for books that don't come out for months in advance. At first I was so jealous wondering what was so great about this woman's reviews to be able to get all these arcs and galleries. Then I also noticed she starting posting over 10 reviews a day! I mean for me on a good week I can probably post 4 or 5, but over 50 in a week?!? There has to be some scam going on. Anyone going to call 20/20? LOL
Early January was a lazy time full of promise, and the future pressure of resolutions yet unbroken. I had written one or two reviews and was trolling around, discovering the ins and outs of Amazon, though I had been member for nearly five years. I came across the top reviewer out of mere curiosity and noticed, in passing, that an amazing number of her reviews seemed to appear en masse. I read a few, though the books read were generally not to my interest, and detected a profoundly disturbing theme: they read like Mad Libs. Logging off of Amazon, I praised my own insight and wisdom, and vowed to read Amazon reviews VERY carefully in the future for items that I would consider purchasing. Little more than amused, I forgot about Harriet for two months. Bored again, I logged on to Amazon, lurked here and there, read this or that book description, and found myself wondering about that old fraud Harriet. I discovered that the comment activity has increased substantially, and that the wit being displayed by posters was fast and furious. Smiling, I posted my first comment, a Harrietesque take on the "Fellowship of the Ring." The rest, as they say...
MK
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