Classics

If Famous Authors Read One-Star Reviews of Their Books

Minh Le

Staff Writer

Minh is the author of Let Me Finish! a debut picture book that will be published by Disney-Hyperion in 2016. By day he works in early childhood policy and in 2010 helped design 826DC‘s Museum of Unnatural History (the only place you can both support youth creative writing and get your daily supply of unicorn tears). He also writes about children’s lit at Bottom Shelf Books and occasionally for the Huffington Post and others. Follow him on Twitter @bottomshelfbks.

It seems like every couple months I see a post go around about Amazon one-star reviews of classic books. Recently there was Buzzfeed’s Depressing One Star Reviews of Classic Literature and earlier this year Book Riot’s own Johann Thorsson compiled some doozies in his post on One-Star Reviews of Beloved Books.

Keep ’em coming, internet. They never disappoint.

Inspired by Jimmy Kimmel’s always funny Celebrities Read Mean Tweets, I thought it’d be fun to imagine these authors reading their own one-star reviews. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but a bad review can really sting, man.

10 Authors Read One Star Reviews James Baldwin

One Star Review of James Baldwin’s GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN

 

One Star Review of THE COMPLETE POEMS OF EMILY DICKINSON

One Star Review of THE COMPLETE POEMS OF EMILY DICKINSON

 

10 Authors Read One Star Reviews Jonathan Franzen

One Star Review of Jonathan Franzen’s FREEDOM

 

One Star Review of Flannery O'Connor's WISE BLOOD

One Star Review of Flannery O’Connor’s WISE BLOOD

 

10 Authors Read One Star Reviews Toni Morrison

One Star Review of Toni Morrison’s BELOVED

 

10 Authors Read One Star Reviews Haruki Murakami

One Star Review of Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84

 

10 Authors Read One Star Reviews Joan Didion

One Star Review of Joan Didion’s THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING

 

One Star Review of Ernest Hemingway's THE SUN ALSO RISES

One Star Review of Ernest Hemingway’s THE SUN ALSO RISES

 

10 Authors Read One Star Reviews Junot Diaz

One Star Review of Junot Diaz’s THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO

 

10 Authors Read One Star Reviews JD Salinger

One Star Review of J. D. Salinger’s THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

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