Is Amazon spiking negative reviews of certain books?

Vanity | 7/31/04 | Antoninus

[Antoninus]

Please forgive the following vanity...

Over the past couple years, I have gotten into the habit of reviewing everything I read on Amazon.com. I read a good bit and have posted about 40 reviews so far both negative and positive. I find that it's also a good way to alert people to books and other products with strong anti-American/anti-Christian themes and laud those with a positive message. Many times have I myself been steered away from certain books because of critical reviews thoughtfully posted by others of like mind on Amazon.

I've never had a problem posting a review until I read The Da Vinci Code and attempted to post the following review of that piece of garbage:

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One star -- Lousy book

This is the type of book that attracts me instantly. I love historical fiction or fiction involving history.

But I know a hack when I see one.

The Da Vinci Code begins with a list of "facts." It doesn't take long to figure out why this list is included: to give the ridiculous theories contained in the book some totally undeserved credibility.

The Da Vinci Code supposedly reveals the "true" story of the life of Christ--which the evil, misogynistic Catholic Church has been trying to suppress for 1600 years. Of course, the "truth" turns out to be the age-old gnostic poppycock about a marriage of Jesus to St. Mary Magdalene, royal bloodlines, goddess worship, geriatric sex rituals, blah, blah blah. Some secret! Every tinfoil-hat conspiracy theorist worth their salt has heard this "secret" and even most of them dismiss it as ludicrous. Brown's notion that the Catholic Church has been suppressing the "divine feminine" since the 4th century is just as stupid. It is high comedy to a Catholic like myself who hears his Church attacked by those who think Catholics are *too* devoted to Mary, the Mother of Christ.

But this is a work of fiction and Dan Brown's butchering of history would be tolerable if the book was at least a good read. Unfortunately, it is not. The writing is on a 9th grade level; the characters are paper cut-outs; the plot is contrived; and the "codes" are just lame. That the book is so dumbed-down just proves that The Da Vinci Code's primary audience is the terminally ignorant.

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I have tried to post this numerous times--dozens of times by this point. I have contacted Amazon's "community affairs" department and received a series of generic emails saying that my review was rejected because it was over 1,000 words (I counted 'em myself--it's under 300).

So in short, I'm trying to figure out if anyone else has had trouble getting critical reviews posted on Amazon, particularly of books that the elite media have celebrated to the heavens.

[Antoninus]

Again, sorry for this vanity. Has anyone else had this problem or am I crazy? Comments?

[Max Combined]

Try changing the workding and posting it again.

[BonnieJ]

They rejected my review of Michael Moore's book twice, telling me I wasn't showing him "proper respect". The review was simply negative, not filled with vile words like so many reviews that they do so often include. So I do think they pick and choose reviews, and also "feature" ones that best present their own viewpoint.

[Antoninus]

Try changing the workding and posting it again.

Did that. I changed it about three or four times. I've submitted it from different computers. I've even submitted it for other formats of the book (hardcover, CD, audio-tape). No go.

[mattdono]

Yes. They do this. When Mike Savage's book The Savage Nation came out, they were only displaying negative reviews. It was as if they "sorted" the list for his book starting with the bad reviews.

I wrote to Savage about it, but I didn't get a reply.

[Antoninus]

I should also point out that there are a number of negative reviews already posted for the "Duh Vinci Code." The book only has 3.5 stars, which is quite low for a book on Amazon. It seems to me, however, that someone arbitrarily put the brakes on all negative reviews at some point because the vast majority of recent ones are all 5 star.

[Arkinsaw]

I don't think Brown is trying to "prove" a theory, he is writing a fiction story that incorporates this as a plot element. It could be that your review seems to be attacking it as a real-world theory rather than a fiction book.

Brown's other novel, "Angels and Demons" repackages the "Illuminati" theory in a similar way with various clues to the conspiracy based on Roman statues, art, and buildings. Nobody reading it would imagine that Brown is "advocating" such a theory.

I imagine you'll see Brown continue to churn out similar novels with various other conspiracy theories and "proof" of them based on various elements in the real world. Readers probably shouldn't imagine that the author is putting them forward as fact.

[wardaddy]

Being an Amazon book review monitor has to be the bottom of the barrel for aspiring lefty writers....worse even than doing verbage for ELLE, GLAMOUR or VOGUE.

[Antoninus]

Yes. They do this. When Mike Savage's book The Savage Nation came out, they were only displaying negative reviews. It was as if they "sorted" the list for his book starting with the bad reviews.

Interesting. That's three accounts so far on this thread of possible review spiking or massaging.

Maybe this thread can be a clearing house for such stories. I did a web search to find testimonials about Amazon spiking certain non-PC reviews and found nothing. There must be complaints out there, no?

[Betaille]

Ive noticed that almost all of their "editor reviews" have a strong liberal bent. All of the left-wing books have positive reviews... all of the Ann coulter/Sean hannity reviews are negative.

[tjg]

I noticied that they had removed all the reviews of the NAMBLA publication. My recollection is that they were all negative. It was interesting that I wrote to them several times, saying that I couldn't use their services if they continued to pander info on how to rape children.

I got a form lette back saying that they didn't sell pornography and that they didn't believe in 'censorship'.

What nonsense! If they don't sell pornography isn't that censorship? And how can a publication that gives instructions for raping children NOT be pornagraphic? Because it's not illustrated?

I told Amazon to remove all my info from their data base which they refused to do until I finally threatened to file a complaint with my state attorney general.

I urge everyone to cease doing business with Amazon. I'm a pretty liberal conservative (how's that for an oxymoron ?) but people that sell intruction manuals for raping children is so far over the line I see no grey what so ever.

[Antoninus]

I don't think Brown is trying to "prove" a theory, he is writing a fiction story that incorporates this as a plot element. It could be that your review seems to be attacking it as a real-world theory rather than a fiction book.

You'll notice that I attacked his book not only as "Pseudo-history for dummies" but also for the "9th grade writing level, paper cut-out characters, contrived plot and lame codes." It's an all around bad book that by no means deserves the hype it's received.

[Gone_Postal]

I should also point out that there are a number of negative reviews already posted for the "Duh Vinci Code." The book only has 3.5 stars, which is quite low for a book on Amazon. It seems to me, however, that someone arbitrarily put the brakes on all negative reviews at some point because the vast majority of recent ones are all 5 star.

It's all about money the more reviews that are positive the more it will sell

[Arkinsaw]

You'll notice that I attacked his book not only as "Pseudo-history for dummies" but also for the "9th grade writing level, paper cut-out characters, contrived plot and lame codes." It's an all around bad book that by no means deserves the hype it's received.

I haven't read it since I don't want to shell out for the hardback and will wait for the paperback. I did read Angels and Demons and it was ok but fairly implausible, overly wild premises, and even cartoony in a few places. I figure that Brown has discovered a niche market and will milk it as long as it lasts.

[Bahbah]

"but also for the "9th grade writing level, paper cut-out characters, contrived plot and lame codes. It's an all around bad book...."

It was awful, your assessment is spot on. I said the same things, just not so well.

[Malesherbes]

I like a lot of things about Amazon and I frequently buy from them, but I agree about the book reviews. Remember that the company is Seattle based, and Seattle is San-Francisco-North.

[Hildy]

Probably for popular books they are so inundated with reviews that they have to pick and choose. Yours just didn't make the cut. Now, if you tell me yours is the ONLY negative review, than I'd say your antenna is working fine, but I wouldn't start getting hot around the collar about it.

[Sandy]

test

[Antoninus]

I haven't read it since I don't want to shell out for the hardback and will wait for the paperback.

Hey, just do what I did and take it out of the library, if you must read it. I don't like the idea of giving a crypto-bigot like Dan Brown (let's face it, if he wrote a book about the Jews running the world, that's what he'd be called--and rightly so) any more reward for peddling his tripe.

[Antoninus]

Probably for popular books they are so inundated with reviews that they have to pick and choose. Yours just didn't make the cut. Now, if you tell me yours is the ONLY negative review, than I'd say your antenna is working fine, but I wouldn't start getting hot around the collar about it.

There are nearly 3000 reviews already posted for this book many of which were written by functional illiterates like the folks who post regularly on DU. Not to pat myself on the back *too* much, but I don't think that's the reason...