goodreads strikes again

on elizabeth gilbert's capitulation to ignorance (sorry)

When you think about it, it's actually kind of beautiful that I continue to be surprised by the Internet's absurdity. Keeps me young. I'll think I'm a cynic, undisturbed by any turn of events wrought by people on their little laptops, and then—it happens. Strangers type and disturbance ensues. I'm excited today to once again discuss one of my ongoing nemeses — Goodreads, famously an Amazon company.

Earlier this week — on Monday, of all days, and at 7:57 a.m., of all times — author Elizabeth Gilbert (Liz to friends and fans) announced, via a deeply cringe influencer-comes-clean-and-fake-apologizes-style video, that her latest book, The Snow Forest, which had been slated for release February 2024, will now be indefinitely delayed. If you haven't seen the video, please do so now — I would like everyone to be as uncomfortable as I was.

The reason for the delay? Bravery. Lol. No. Although I understand that is what we're supposed to believe. You see, The Snow Forest — which yes, is giving 2008 fantasy novel title — is set "in the middle of Siberia in the middle of the last century" (how symmetrical!) and "follows a group of individuals who ... remove themselves from society to resist the Soviet government." 

Well. Well. People (and by people, I mean about 500 Goodreads users who have not, mind you, read the book) decided they had a problem with the setting of The Snow Forest. Naturally. The sheer injustice of setting a book in Russia — so they argued, in the salon that is the Goodreads review section — when Ukraine is still fighting Russia's invasion. 

As such, Gilbert made one of the most questionable decisions I’ve seen in recent memory, to pull the book — sorry, to make a "course correction," to use her words — because "it is not the time for this book to be published," as it would contribute to the "grievous and extreme harm" that Ukrainians are suffering through. 

Ok. So a few issues with that.