身為一個寫書評的人，忠實地表達自己的意見和看法，當然是首要之務，也是 必要的責任。不過，這個第一要務往往由於各種主客觀條件的影響而無法達成：批得太兇，作家、出版社不高興，以後就不拿書給你評了；持不同意見的讀者（或是 作家本人、出版社的代表）也跑來討戰；你所景仰和信賴的其他評論家寫了一篇好評，使你對自己的觀感有所遲疑......也有可能只是單純地鄉愿，不想說難 聽的話。
我以前也曾自許成為一個稱職的評論者。不過曾幾何時，我竟也沾染了上述的弊病而不自知。現在當然我也沒什麼時間寫大篇的，但評論時，容易受到其他影響，不 再勇敢地表達自己的心聲，卻也是不爭的事實。或許看的書、看的評論稍微多了，會怕自己寫不好而不敢動手，說實在話，不過就是懶和沒種嘛。
讀了本文之後，最該檢討的，就是我自己。
原文出處：
Jay Tomio, "Year One Lessons: The thin line between brouhaha and opinion"
http://jaytomio.wordpress.com/2006/02/10/year-one-lessons-the-thin-line-between-brouhaha-and-opinion/
paragraph 1:
還有：
in Tomio’s Ten Revelations of Year One:
我以前也曾自許成為一個稱職的評論者。不過曾幾何時，我竟也沾染了上述的弊病而不自知。現在當然我也沒什麼時間寫大篇的，但評論時，容易受到其他影響，不 再勇敢地表達自己的心聲，卻也是不爭的事實。或許看的書、看的評論稍微多了，會怕自己寫不好而不敢動手，說實在話，不過就是懶和沒種嘛。
讀了本文之後，最該檢討的，就是我自己。
原文出處：
Jay Tomio, "Year One Lessons: The thin line between brouhaha and opinion"
http://jaytomio.wordpress.com/2006/02/10/year-one-lessons-the-thin-line-between-brouhaha-and-opinion/
paragraph 1:
...... You’re not selling the product — you’re not a publicist — although you work with them, you’re selling yourself and the relevance and depth of your opinion, and that’s only half of it – much more importantly, who is buying?paragraph 2:
...... I have observed that the answer to this question not only seems lost on many, but being skipped entirely. As more and more genre related sites pop up, and the overwhelming popularity of blogging in the last few years, we have the potential for more and more insightful angles offered by a variety of worldviews and experiences If our eyes are our windows to the world our experiences is the adjustable tint on the glass. It seems, however, many are more concerned in what people will think of their opinion, instead of voicing it. At first I thought this was merely associated with being passed off for ‘tact’, but found my observation isn’t constricted to merely negative opinions, but any opinion at all that wouldn’t make a eulogizer blush. The answer that seems to make the most sense to me – if not the only relevant than at the very least, the single most important consumer – is yourself. While I love that a couple people read my blog, I ultimately don’t write for anyone of them or in an effort draw any potential readers. I’m more interested in if I buy what I’m dealing more than if anyone is or isn’t, and while everyone has a different style and method of going about what they do, I wonder about people who hype everything they read, but not more than I wonder why every time they do hype someone the only difference is their observation is the name of the author or book they are endorsing. Fans of Fantasy and Science Fiction have a term for this, and it’s called the Klausner-reflex.paragraph 4:
...... I have changed from trying to maintain balance in review, I used to feel it necessary to find and report something positive about a book if I didn’t enjoy it overall. The old saying ‘there something worthy of merit in every book”, is often accepted opinion, and sure sounds good, but I’m not running for office, and it’s a notion I have come to refuse. Some books are just completely terrible; there is no need to politic. One doesn’t require any validation accept self-validation for their opinions, just please have some (opinions). Don’t get me wrong, I love commenting on books I love, it’s the same feeling as coming back from a wonderful vacation and wanting to tell people of the experience, but that is not the same as just saying “It was pleasant” or “It was fair”. I want embedded reporting, not the weather. Not what it is, but what you observe. ......paragraph 23:
There are of course many excellent sources for commentary. Whether reading choice Clutian candour, dissecting both book and language, or the last moments of something unfortunate enough to have found itself in Chouinard sights, or VanderMeer cutting out throats; or Cheney’s habit of uncovering perspectives unseen – I hate that, it’s like someone reminding me I’m blind - or Adam’s untouched by venom, along with others like Gevers, di Filippo, Witcover, Grant, Wolf, Niall, I have also been tuning into seeing what Larry has to say recently, among several others who inhabit the blogoverse (you know who you are). These are people who just offer such a wonderful variety of tint that if they all reviewed the same book, there is still information to be gleaned from indulging in each and every one. I also want to throw in the criticisms of Delany (who has been the topic of discussion around the verse lately), which are just magnificent. Delany is just simply a master, and it’s good to see him being discussed no matter what the reason.paragraph 25:
You’re not doing anyone any favors by telling me if something isn’t my cup of tea, sometimes I explore new things and I don’t mind drinking out of someone else’s cup, but if you tell me there is shit in my tea and how it got there…that my friends, is the difference between shit and shinola.
還有：
in Tomio’s Ten Revelations of Year One:
5. If the word ‘but’ is occurring too frequently in your review, throw it away. Who are you arguing with? 〔我很常犯這一點......〕
14. Fairness and balanced are not the same thing regarding reviews. You can be fair and say nothing positive, yet consciously trying to be balanced you risk saying nothing at all.
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