NEW HOPE INTERNATIONAL REVIEW ON-LINE

In his opening editorial Joseph Farley writes

We don't mean to be rude and nasty, we just are. Reviewing can't all be smiles and grace. A friend of mine who writes a lot of book reviews told me he only writes nice things about books. "If it's a bad book, I just don't review it." Too bad. Literature is a disease. Some people need to be forceably weaned from writing, or locked up until they can write better. A bad review or two might be just the kick in the pants they need.

I'm much relieved to find that the reviews themselves are in fact almost wholly positive. Obviously I'm delighted that just over two pages are given over to Louis McKee's review of John Elsberg's SAILOR which I had the pleasure of publishing.

Average review length is a third to half a page. A few are brief and contain just factual information about the contents and not expressing an opinion either way. Even the most critical is tempered.

When NHI Review stopped being printed and became an online publication only, we got criticised for abandoning the needs of those who are not net-connected and want printed reviews. Magazines like this, continue to meet that need, and should be supported.

How does one review a magazine of reviews?

• One can be simply descriptive. This publishes just short of twenty reviews. Most of the reviews are by the editor. All are reviews of poetry collections with the exception of Jim Sullivan's opening review of THE FIRST AMERICANS: IN PURSUIT OF ARCHAEOLOGY'S GREATEST MYSTERY.
  
  
• One can compare the reviews. I've only read two of the books covered here, but am familar with work by a few of the other authors, though not these particular collections. The reviews of the books I've read are not unfair, but I wouldn't agree with what the reviewer says about them, and so I have to take a similar pinch of salt reading the rest. No one review of any book can be definitive — complete objectivity is impossible. Readers of reviews need to read a range of views and see how their own tastes and opinions match up with those of particular reviewers.
  
  
• One can consider the tone. Despite the title, I didn't find any cynicism in these reviews. Negative comments are balanced by sound argument and the praise is measured. It is never over-the-top gushing nor condemnatory.
  
  
• Finally one can summarise. A useful little publication with a fair balance.