A very disturbing article appeared in The Guardian quite recently, detailing the experience of the author Kathleen Hale and a one-star review on Goodreads. Said review led Hale down a path of paranoia, obsession and stalking, until she undoubtedly crossed a line that no author should in terms of interacting with their fans. As writers, authors are constantly subjected to criticism, even if some of it is perhaps unwarranted (for example, giving a one-star review to a book you haven’t read, which is a sadly common practice on Goodreads.) As reviewers, we are open to backlash from authors and fans of said authors. But where does one draw the line?
Of course, receiving a negative review is disheartening for an author, especially one with a strong social media presence who is likely to read said review. I, and all of I’m With Geek, could also never condone the trolling of an author on the internet. But the reaction from many authors across social media to this story has been largely negative. Turning up at a stranger’s house is not good author etiquette (and just a creepy thing to do in general). “Blythe Harris” made no threat on Hale’s life, stole no money from her, did not lure her into a false online relationship. She made hurtful comments, sure, but she merely disliked the book she read. There are plenty of other avenues Hale could have taken in dealing with this problem, but blatant stalking and privacy invasion is not one of them.
At I’m With Geek, we like to share our reviews and articles with the authors, especially if we like their work, and in most instances, our opinions, regardless of what they are, are met with a positive attitude by the authors. Also on I’m With Geek, we would never encourage or engage in a personal attack on anybody, and for this, Blythe Harris was undoubtedly in the wrong. In this age of social media, it is possible for an author to know the exact reaction that their work is getting, and for the majority, this means the joy of seeing someone enjoy their work, and knowing what was less successful for future releases. In my opinion, Kathleen Hale definitely crossed a line, but what do you think? Were Hale’s actions justified due to Harris’ fake identity and tweets? Where should that line between author and reader be drawn?