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Message: <blockquote data-quote="barsoomcore" data-source="post: 1310863" data-attributes="member: 812">NOBODY'S comments should carry any more weight than anybody else's.What matters isn't the training, perspective or detachment of the critic. All that matters is the content of the statements themselves. Some statements are true, some are interesting, some are humourous -- don't worry too much about the source. Concentrate on what's being said.Good criticism sparks debate and draws out new ideas about a work. It challenges preconceptions and stands up to intellectual analysis. It examines the work in question deeply, seriously and with wit and style. There are many qualities, however, which are not necessary to good criticism. It may for example ask questions, or attempt to answer them. It may defend or attack, insist or suggest -- indeed it may be objective or entirely subjective. It may even be true or false. None of these qualities are necessary for a critical statement to be useful. Let us say, successful.Good critics don't have secret knowledge the rest of us lack -- they just possess insights into the nature of their chosen field (usually because they spend all day thinking about it, and are well-versed in its canonical works), and the ability to communicate those well.</blockquote>