In the course of my blogging travels, I occasionally come upon a blog which is written with a quick wit. It is funny, and piercing, and pointedly critical. As I read further down, I see that each post is actually filled with snide remarks. For me, a little of this goes a long way.
When teaching children to write, we ask them to find a voice. "Think of your audience," we say. "To whom are you writing?" And so I'm asking, do you prefer to read a blog whose writer's voice is gentle? Or, do you prefer a blog filled with snark? It's engaging, to be sure.
But, after awhile, it's exhausting. To me.
I like a seemingly sincere mixture of both. I used to write in a MUCH more snarky style, but that was true to my self in graduate school. Now, not so much. Irony, some snark, a whole lotta truth. That's really what I do now. When I'm reading, if the snark seems to forced or manufactured, it's very quick to turn me off.
ReplyDeleteI like a more gentle voice, but don't mind some snark from time to time. I agree that a little snark goes a long way.
ReplyDeleteI think it depends if it feels genuine or not, if the person is just doing it for effect & has no relevance to the content, I'm not interested, but if the context is right & it's part of the mix, I think it can be amusing.
ReplyDeleteI think P.L. is right...we all have a little snark in us from time to time. But it also seems to me that snark and biting wit are often more about the blogger than about the book.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind reading snark, but I have a hard time writing it. It's just not me.
ReplyDeleteSome snark is good to read at times, to change the overall pace of what I'm reading. But, as you point out, a little goes a long way, so I normally read something like that in spurts. I wouldn't be able to read it every day, or sometimes even once a week. Thank goodness for the Google Reader so I can get to it when I can. :)
ReplyDeleteI like to read snark, but only occasionally and I need it to be genuine. On a regular basis, though, I tend toward gentler voices.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to agree with Parrish. If the opinion is honest, and it's delivered with humor, I really have no trouble with it. But I prefer balance -- if a blogger is only snarky, and never has a kind or gentle word to say, then I feel like they are not being real. (But then, you know very well that I am capable of snark from time to time -- if it's what I'd say to a friend, it's what I write!)
ReplyDeleteA little snark is fine as long as it does not overtake the review :)
ReplyDeleteBellezza, I prefer an authentic voice, whatever that might be. While I agree that sometimes a little snark goes a long way, excessive "softheartedness" can be an equal problem if reading a blog reminds me of being in Sunday School with tight shoes and dress up clothes when I was a kid when I just wanted to play and let loose: too much restraint is no fun! :D
ReplyDeleteHi, I've come over to visit from Vishy's blog.
ReplyDeleteI go to different blogs for different reasons. Some blog writers make me laugh, others are more serious&academic, a few are more artistic than bookish, and so on. As long as the snark is not too overbearing, I'm ok with it.
I prefer something balanced and it depends on the book and the person writing it. Good snark is a talent that not everyone can pull off without sounding bitchy or offensive.
ReplyDeleteInteresting question! I love humor in blog posts, but I don't always love snark which sometimes comes across as cruel or hurtful. My google reader is filled with a mix of gentle and humorous...I like them both, it depends on my mood. But if a blogger slips over the edge into meanness, I stop reading.
ReplyDeleteI am not a lover of snarkiness. Honesty I love, humour I love, but it needs to be balanced with compassion.
ReplyDeleteI don't actually like the words 'snark' or 'snarky'; I think they're fairly judgemental, words that can actually say more about the values of the person reading rather than the writer...
ReplyDeleteWow, Tony - that was a bit snarky :)
ReplyDeleteSee what I mean ;)
ReplyDeleteAlso, it's more of an American word anyway, not one that I would actually use myself.
Getting back to the point of the post(!), I don't think I'm really able to comment, given the way I review things...
This is a most interesting string of comments, my friends, and I'll take a moment to respond to the last bit with Tony after saying, "Yes. A little snark is fun. A very little."
ReplyDeleteAs to the word snark, I actually had to look it up in the Urban Dictionary. It is like 'brunch' in the sense that it's two words put together, a combination of 'snide' and 'remark', for those who weren't exactly sure. Like me. I just knew it was a negative, critical kind of talk.
Tony, I think of your posts as more tongue in cheek than snark. They are humourous, but not full of demeaning comments nor swear words. That, I guess, is the separator for me. Your blog was not the one I was referring to, anyway, as being over the top in snark. I'll leave the one in my mind nameless, as I never want to hurt people's feelings. Not that I would hurt this blogger's feelings; I suspect she's quite unsusceptible to my more gentle thoughts.
Well, everyone, here's the bottom line for me. I don't want to write the equivalent of pablum here, so gentle and softhearted that there's nothing of substance. But, neither do I want to rely on an in-your-face kind of voice, peppered with profanity. I'll keep writing as I do, grateful for the thoughts you care to share along the way.
I'm all for a little snark - too much of it can be rather annoying. At the same time I don't just want gentle. Hmmm. I suppose I want a mix of both. However, if the blogger's voice is snarky then so be it or if its gentle, then its gentle - as long as its authentic I'll tune in :)
ReplyDeleteYou're quite right that bland, unadventurous writing is every bit as bad (if not worse!). However, I would argue that 'snarkiness' (sic) is in the eye of the beholder - different people will have different views on how nasty/critical/realistic review posts should be...
ReplyDeleteFor me it is all about balance. I don't mind a little snark if it isn't too overpowering.
ReplyDeleteAs an occasional user of 'snark' I feel I should weigh in on this.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting you mention the use of swear words in your comment, Bellezza. I think that's a step or two below snark. I've always considered snark a step or two above swearing. It's easy to swear; you have to think a bit to be snarky.
And I guess I don't have anything useful to say about snark either. People should read blogs they enjoy and people should write their blogs in a way they enjoy writing. What I value most is a blog with something interesting to say about books I have read, and a tendency to point out books I've not heard of that interest me.
I like honest, thoughtful reactions to books. Sometimes this can be gushing softheartedness, sometimes I can be snark. I've been guilty of extremes in both directions myself.