Browse Exhibits (1 total)

There is nothing quite like finishing a book. One has either sped through it because they absolutely loved it or crawled through it because each page was a laborious effort. Either way when someone finishes a book, they have some thoughts. They can express those thoughts in a mad rant to their friends which may go something like "I can't believe I just wasted my brain power on that!" or "My gosh, you MUST read this book, I will lend you my copy." Other times an exasperated "well I guess that was alright" will suffice.

Another way to express these post-read-thoughts is to turn to the site Good Reads. The site is a staple in the literary community. It can be thought of as a discourse community or “a group of individuals bound by a common interest who communicate through approved channels and whose discourse is regulated” (Porter 38). On Good Reads people can read and write reviews. Readers can rate the book on a scale of one to five and leave a review. Some reviews are several hundred words, others just shy of a hundred.

This exhibit is a deep dive into the minds of readers who have just finished a book. Emotions such as enthusiasm, frustration, annoyance, resentment, and deep joy can be felt while reading these reviews. The exhibit has been divided into three parts: The Good, The Bad & The Mediocre. It shows the different ways people can process literary works in drastically diverse lights.
These reviews are always personal and never boring. They are artifacts that could be easily overlooked, unless someone wants an outside opinion before buying a book. But when they are looked at objectively, these reviews garner a lot of meaning. They are a form of social participation driven by peoples’ everyday needs and interests (Lillis 77).They are a small peak into the practice of everyday writing.