--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I try not to hate anybody. \"Hate is a…" description: "\"“I try not to hate anybody. \"Hate is a four-letter word,\" like the bumper sticker says. But I hate book reviewers. Book reviewers are the most despicab..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/steve-hely-66966_ask-yourself_i-try-not-to-hate-anybody-hate-is-a-four_1253356.jpg" --- # I try not to hate anybody. "Hate is a four-letter word,"… ![“I try not to hate anybody. "Hate is a four-letter word," like the bumper sticker says. But I hate book reviewers. Book reviewers are the most despicable, loathsome order of swine that ever rooted about the earth. They are sniveling, revolting creatures who feed their own appetites for bile by…” quote by Steve Hely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/steve-hely-66966_ask-yourself_i-try-not-to-hate-anybody-hate-is-a-four_1253356.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/steve-hely-66966_ask-yourself_i-try-not-to-hate-anybody-hate-is-a-four_1253356.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/steve-hely-66966_ask-yourself_i-try-not-to-hate-anybody-hate-is-a-four_1253356.jpg) > ““I try not to hate anybody. "Hate is a four-letter word," like the bumper sticker says. But I hate book reviewers. Book reviewers are the most despicable, loathsome order of swine that ever rooted about the earth. They are sniveling, revolting creatures who feed their own appetites for bile by gnawing apart other people's work. They are human garbage. They all deserve to be struck down by awful diseases described in the most obscure dermatology journals. Book reviewers live in tiny studios that stink of mothballs and rotting paper. Their breath reeks of stale coffee. From time to time they put on too-tight shirts and pants with buckles and shuffle out of their lairs to shove heaping mayonnaise-laden sandwiches into their faces, which are worn in to permanent snarls. Then they go back to their computers and with fat stubby fingers they hammer out "reviews." Periodically they are halted as they burst into porcine squeals, gleefully rejoicing in their cruelty. Even when being "kindly," book reviewers reveal their true nature as condescending jerks. "We look forward to hearing more from the author," a book reviewer might say. The prissy tones sound like a second-grade piano teacher, offering you a piece of years-old strawberry hard candy and telling you to practice more. But a bad book review is just disgusting. Ask yourself: of all the jobs available to literate people, what monster chooses the job of "telling people how bad different books are"? What twisted fetishist chooses such a life?”” [Steve Hely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hely/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker expresses extreme contempt for book reviewers, portraying them as malicious, petty, and deserving of severe punishment. **In simple terms:** Strong hatred toward book reviewers. Key Takeaway Avoid letting contempt dominate your view of criticism. Themes criticism professionalism empathy integrity Mood angry disgusted sarcastic Type satirical venting When to use this quote - publishing industry - online reviews - author‑reviewer relations - literary criticism Key Concepts cynicism ad hominem hyperbole Questions to Reflect On - What would change if you considered reviewers as potential allies? - How can you separate personal bias from professional critique? A Different Perspective The rant may be exaggerated and not reflect most reviewers' constructive roles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ask yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-yourself/) [Book review](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-review/) [Book Reviewers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-reviewers-2035340/) [Book-reviewers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-reviewers-22578/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Hard candy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-candy/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Hate Anybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate-anybody-241852/) [Hate Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate-book-726123/) [Reviewers Despicable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reviewers-despicable-3959064/) [Reviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reviews/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [True nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-nature/) ## Related quotes > [“Book reviewer: Very often a writer who has never been published taking out their frustrations on a writer who has.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul-ramos-y-sanchez/book-reviewer-very-often-a-writer-who-has-never-been-published-taking/) [Raul Ramos y Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul-ramos-y-sanchez/) > [Book reviewers are little old ladies of both sexes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/book-reviewers-are-little-old-ladies-of-both-sexes/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [The preface is the most important part of a book. 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They are sniveling, revolting creatures who feed their own appetites for bile by gnawing apart other people's work. They are human garbage. They all deserve to be struck down by awful diseases described in the most obscure dermatology journals. Book reviewers live in tiny studios that stink of mothballs and rotting paper. Their breath reeks of stale coffee. From time to time they put on too-tight shirts and pants with buckles and shuffle out of their lairs to shove heaping mayonnaise-laden sandwiches into their faces, which are worn in to permanent snarls. Then they go back to their computers and with fat stubby fingers they hammer out \"reviews.\" Periodically they are halted as they burst into porcine squeals, gleefully rejoicing in their cruelty. Even when being \"kindly,\" book reviewers reveal their true nature as condescending jerks. \"We look forward to hearing more from the author,\" a book reviewer might say. The prissy tones sound like a second-grade piano teacher, offering you a piece of years-old strawberry hard candy and telling you to practice more. But a bad book review is just disgusting. Ask yourself: of all the jobs available to literate people, what monster chooses the job of \"telling people how bad different books are\"? 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