Life — February 3, 1921 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "How to Know the Mild Book Reviewers" This satirical article critiques book reviewers as a social class. The accompanying cartoon by Boardman Robinson depicts three working-class men in bowler hats discussing books, with the caption: "Do you always read the reviews?" / "Why, yes. I guess so. But, say, ain't those boilshevieks something terrible." The satire targets reviewers who: - Lack genuine literary knowledge, deriving opinions only from predecessors - Don't actually read the books they review - Make judgments about authors without proper understanding - Associate with publishers and editors rather than serious literary circles The cartoon suggests ordinary people mindlessly repeat reviewers' opinions while discussing unrelated topics (Bolsheviks), implying reviewers hold little actual influence or credibility despite their pretensions.