An Apology To Book World
We had what felt like 53 newspapers delivered to our house in Maryland. Actually, it was more like three - The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal (clearly for the hubby) and The New York Times (Sundays only). Over the years, I became somewhat disappointed in the Post’s reporting. And, the Sunday Book World section drove me nuts. Really, how many books about dead Presidents and the history of mold could one newspaper review? The answer, obviously, was at least 10 per week.
Then we moved. I sat down yesterday with my new hometown paper, the San Diego Union-Tribune. Not a great paper. The book section, errr, wow. Five pages of nothing. Since we also get the LA Times on the weekend, I turned to the Times’ book section. Surely a newspaper like the Times would have a great book section…no.
Maybe this is another chicken-egg thing, but are people not buying books because so little emphasis is placed on them or is so little emphasis placed on them because no one cares. Hard to say. But, I can now report with some authority that Washington Post Book World actually is pretty good. My apologies to the Post’s staff for previous disparaging remarks.
November 27th, 2006 at 3:29 pm
Not many of the papers in Oregon have a book review section either.
November 28th, 2006 at 3:34 pm
There was a time when I would have agreed that the Times book review was sorely out of touch. But, under a new editor the Times book review has blossomed with new independence, drawing from Southern California talent instead of always looking east.
Maybe you should give it more than one shot?
November 28th, 2006 at 5:01 pm
Of course I’ll give the Times more than one shot. I have a subscription and an almost pathological need to read every newspaper I see. This one comes into my home, so I’ll be reading it, including the book section, every week. But, my point was that while the LATBR was far better than the one in the Union-Tribune, it wasn’t what I expected in light of the stature of the LA Times and wealth of literary talent in Southern California. We’ll see if I feel differently after a few months.
November 29th, 2006 at 1:46 am
College newspapers are better than the UT, so saying the LAT is better doesn’t mean much. My point was that you’ve judge the Book Review after one edition.
November 29th, 2006 at 11:24 am
Understood and agree totally with the UT comment. I’ve actually been following along and reading the LAT via the Internet ever since I found out I was moving (about 3 months ago). Haven’t been wowed yet, but I’ll keep hoping…