Samurai Review Reaction
I personally found the “Samurai Review” story disheartening and discouraging. Granted, the story had a creative writing feel to it, so perhaps the unholy glee that the engineers found in dismembering nearly every sentence put on paper by the writer was grossly exaggerated. However, considering the theme of this collection, the story should be based on some real-life experience and that is what is so saddening.
I, fortunately, have never had a personal experience involving that much sadism and negativity, but I have run into non-constructive criticism as much as the next person and can empathize with the effects of that. As a group, writers tend to personalize their work as being an extension of themselves and as a result, the criticism is no longer aimed at the document, but is aimed at the writer as an individual.
The general theme of the second part of the Savage and Sullivan collection seems to be one of under-appreciation and frustration. This does not particularly inspire me as a pre-professional writer, but I suppose that the warning of potential challenges should be appreciated. I feel that I have a better grasp on the realities of the situation, but I still am questioning the source. The tone of the book strikes me as very one-sided and biased. I have come to appreciate objective language and I did not find it in this collection of personal experiences.
