A bon mot of Peter Carey about reviews of one's work (2012)

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Peter Carey:

Do you read reviews of your work still?

I try not to. It's stupid. It's only driven by ambition and vanity, insecurity.

Nothing good comes from reading reviews. … I've had … lots of really lovely reviews full of praise, I can still remember that [bad] review from 1974.

What did it say?

It said, "Broken-toothed, rhythmless prose."

Why don't you quit reading them?

It's hard. Never underestimate the self-absorption of a writer.

Alexandra Alter, "A Mechanical Duck as a Trojan Horse", Wall Street Journal, on line at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304451104577392430992501296.html, accessed 20120509.

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