--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing is exhilarating, but reading…" description: "\"Writing is exhilarating, but reading reviews is not. I've been really devastated by 'good' reviews because they misunderstand the project of the book. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/eleanor-catton-2384_bad_writing-is-exhilarating-but-reading-revi_2117823.png" --- # Writing is exhilarating, but reading reviews is not. I've… ![“Writing is exhilarating, but reading reviews is not. I've been really devastated by 'good' reviews because they misunderstand the project of the book. It can be strangely galvanising to get a 'bad' one.” quote by Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/eleanor-catton-2384_bad_writing-is-exhilarating-but-reading-revi_2117823.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/eleanor-catton-2384_bad_writing-is-exhilarating-but-reading-revi_2117823.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/eleanor-catton-2384_bad_writing-is-exhilarating-but-reading-revi_2117823.png) > “Writing is exhilarating, but reading reviews is not. I've been really devastated by 'good' reviews because they misunderstand the project of the book. It can be strangely galvanising to get a 'bad' one.” [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing brings joy, while criticism can be painful yet sometimes motivating. **In simple terms:** Reviews can hurt or inspire. Key Takeaway Use feedback to refine your work. Themes creativity criticism growth Mood reflective inspirational Type advice literary When to use this quote - publishing - peer review - self‑editing - marketing strategies Key Concepts feedback loops authorial resilience Questions to Reflect On - What can you learn from a harsh review? - How do you balance confidence with critique? A Different Perspective Negative reviews may reflect bias rather than quality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad/) [Bad one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-one/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/been/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Devastated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devastated/) [Exhilarating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exhilarating/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good Reviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-reviews-398944/) [Misunderstand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misunderstand/) [Project](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/project/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reading Reviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-reviews-390347/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Reviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reviews/) [Reviews Misunderstand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reviews-misunderstand-4305810/) [Strangely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strangely/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Exhilarating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-exhilarating-300491/) ## Related quotes > [“When I as reading and writing, I was in that exhilarating place where the life of the imagination is more real than the tiles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-lawrenson/when-i-as-reading-and-writing-i-was-in-that-exhilarating-place-where/) [Deborah Lawrenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-lawrenson/) > [Why are we casting all these stand-up comedians to do 'Breaking Bad,' one of the most dramatic TV shows ever?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/why-are-we-casting-all-these-stand-up-comedians-to-do-breaking-bad/) [Steven Michael Quezada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-michael-quezada/) > [I'm not the best at choosing what's good and what's bad. I wouldn't even know what's a good pop song and what's a bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asap-rocky/i-m-not-the-best-at-choosing-what-s-good-and-what-s-bad-i-wouldn-t/) [ASAP Rocky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asap-rocky/) > [I don't know what first got me to attack melons. It's not like I ate a bad one and got an upset stomach. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/i-don-t-know-what-first-got-me-to-attack-melons-it-s-not-like-i-ate-a/) [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) > [If you stop for lunch elsewhere in the world, you tend to eat a sandwich, and a bad one. Italy is unique for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lapo-elkann/if-you-stop-for-lunch-elsewhere-in-the-world-you-tend-to-eat-a/) [Lapo Elkann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lapo-elkann/) > [In the beginning I used to make one terrible play a game. Then I got so I'd make one a week and finally I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-gehrig/in-the-beginning-i-used-to-make-one-terrible-play-a-game-then-i-got/) [Lou Gehrig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-gehrig/) > [The minute you start making calculations about what people will think of you as a person based on your work as an actor, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/the-minute-you-start-making-calculations-about-what-people-will-think/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [I am failing as a woman. I am failing as a feminist. To freely accept the feminist label would not be fair to good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/i-am-failing-as-a-woman-i-am-failing-as-a-feminist-to-freely-accept/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [When I look at a character, whether he's good or bad, one scene or 10 scenes, I just have to find my way in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-wilson/when-i-look-at-a-character-whether-he-s-good-or-bad-one-scene-or-10/) [Patrick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-wilson/) > [Things that I consider bad qualities, I always try and figure out where they are coming from. I don't consider ambition to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/things-that-i-consider-bad-qualities-i-always-try-and-figure-out/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [He had one uniform practice, and a very bad one it was, during the time of family worship, and just three or four seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hogg/he-had-one-uniform-practice-and-a-very-bad-one-it-was-during-the-time/) [James Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hogg/) > [I'm the world's worst at reading reviews and then pretending I've read the book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abi-morgan/i-m-the-world-s-worst-at-reading-reviews-and-then-pretending-i-ve/) [Abi Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abi-morgan/) > [“Reading her reviews kept his memory of her alive in a way he probably shouldn’t want.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/reading-her-reviews-kept-his-memory-of-her-alive-in-a-way-he-probably/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [I make a point of not reading reviews because of the old adage, if you read the good ones then you have to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morgan/i-make-a-point-of-not-reading-reviews-because-of-the-old-adage-if-you/) [Peter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morgan/) > [But I'm getting to a point where I'm trying to stop reading reviews about myself, only because it's a no-win situation. If they say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moshe-kasher/but-i-m-getting-to-a-point-where-i-m-trying-to-stop-reading-reviews/) [Moshe Kasher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moshe-kasher/) ## More by Eleanor Catton > [“We spend our entire lives thinking about death. Without that project to divert us, I expect we would all be dreadfully bored. We would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/we-spend-our-entire-lives-thinking-about-death-without-that-project/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [I often feel intellectually frustrated when I'm in a position where I'm not moving forward; when I'm not enquiring about something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/i-often-feel-intellectually-frustrated-when-i-m-in-a-position-where-i/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [An interesting thing about New Zealand, you know, literature is that it really didn't begin in any real sense until the 20th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/an-interesting-thing-about-new-zealand-you-know-literature-is-that-it/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [“own reputation, by associating himself with a story of cuckoldry, blackmail, murder, and revenge, and nor did he spare a thought for how Balfour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/own-reputation-by-associating-himself-with-a-story-of-cuckoldry/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [“In my experience people are rarely contented to end up where they started.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/in-my-experience-people-are-rarely-contented-to-end-up-where-they/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [“His temperament was deeply nostalgic, not for for his own past, but for past ages; he was cynical of the present, fearful of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/his-temperament-was-deeply-nostalgic-not-for-for-his-own-past-but-for/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [“What was glimpsed in Aquarius—what was envisioned, believed in, prophesied, predicted, doubted, and forewarned—is made, in Pisces, manifest. Those solitary visions that, but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/what-was-glimpsed-in-aquarius-what-was-envisioned-believed-in/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [“Gaining control isn't the exciting part. Sleeping with a minor isn't exciting because you get to boss them around. It's exciting because you're risking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/gaining-control-isn-t-the-exciting-part-sleeping-with-a-minor-isn-t/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [Astrology's a moving system that depends on where you're looking at it from on Earth. My horoscope here in London would be completely different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/astrology-s-a-moving-system-that-depends-on-where-you-re-looking-at/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [As an artist, you need to be not at all entitled in your relation with the work. So money is kind of worrying. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/as-an-artist-you-need-to-be-not-at-all-entitled-in-your-relation-with/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [The nice thing about the zodiac as a system is it is quite comprehensive as a range of impulses and psychological states it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/the-nice-thing-about-the-zodiac-as-a-system-is-it-is-quite/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [“True feeling is always circular - either circular, or paradoxical - simply because its cause and its expression are tow halves of the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/true-feeling-is-always-circular-either-circular-or-paradoxical-simply/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [“he built his persona as a shield around his person, because he knew very well how little his person could withstand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/he-built-his-persona-as-a-shield-around-his-person-because-he-knew/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [“It must have been unpleasant to be discussed as a curiosity, spoken about over breakfast, and between rounds at billiards, as if one's soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/it-must-have-been-unpleasant-to-be-discussed-as-a-curiosity-spoken/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [Theatre is a concentrate of life as normal. Theatre is a purified version of real life, an extraction, an essence of human behaviour that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/theatre-is-a-concentrate-of-life-as-normal-theatre-is-a-purified/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) [Explore all 168 Eleanor Catton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) ## More Bad quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Sometimes I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'm in a good mood. It's like everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricky/sometimes-i-m-in-a-bad-mood-sometimes-i-m-in-a-good-mood-it-s-like/) [Tricky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricky/) > [Unfortunately, we all go through bad phases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushmita-sen/unfortunately-we-all-go-through-bad-phases/) [Sushmita Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushmita-sen/) > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [What people tend to forget is the journey that I had getting to Formula One. There were plenty of years where I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/what-people-tend-to-forget-is-the-journey-that-i-had-getting-to/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [I listen to heavy metal thanks to my son. When I argue with him on the kind of music he is listening to, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/i-listen-to-heavy-metal-thanks-to-my-son-when-i-argue-with-him-on-the/) [Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [“If any woman opens her legs for you, don't feel so lucky to be fed with nonsense, she has been a bitch for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/if-any-woman-opens-her-legs-for-you-don-t-feel-so-lucky-to-be-fed/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [Everybody has bad days, but how you respond to it is a testament to whether you are a winner or a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-gordon/everybody-has-bad-days-but-how-you-respond-to-it-is-a-testament-to/) [Aaron Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-gordon/) > [Obviously I'm very grateful 'Bad Guy' is doing so well - it's shocking and surprising and gratifying - but I do think it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/obviously-i-m-very-grateful-bad-guy-is-doing-so-well-it-s-shocking/) [Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/) > [I felt pretty good growing up. I didnt feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) [Browse all 7,973 Bad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing is exhilarating, but reading reviews is not. I've been really devastated by 'good' reviews because they misunderstand the project of the book. It can be strangely galvanising to get a 'bad' one.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eleanor Catton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/writing-is-exhilarating-but-reading-reviews-is-not-i-ve-been-really/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/writing-is-exhilarating-but-reading-reviews-is-not-i-ve-been-really/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/eleanor-catton-2384_bad_writing-is-exhilarating-but-reading-revi_2117823.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/eleanor-catton-2384_bad_writing-is-exhilarating-but-reading-revi_2117823.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/eleanor-catton-2384_bad_writing-is-exhilarating-but-reading-revi_2117823.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writing is exhilarating, but reading reviews is not. I've been really devastated by 'good' reviews because…” — Eleanor Catton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eleanor Catton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Writing is exhilarating, but reading reviews...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/writing-is-exhilarating-but-reading-reviews-is-not-i-ve-been-really/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/writing-is-exhilarating-but-reading-reviews-is-not-i-ve-been-really/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```