Jobs in Reviewing: Joel Golby’s Four Stars: A Life. Reviewed.

Some critics study film for decades in order to offer insight and inspiration in equal measure. Foodies will travel, taste, and test to learn how best to describe each delectable dining experience. Others are like Joel Golby, they write what they know, and in Golby’s case, it’s literally his life.

So this may be more a comedy book and less a true review-y memoir, but in it, Golby reviews all things little and big. To let the blurb speak for itself:

Ever tried going a little further, reviewing the intangibles, the abstract, the ‘weird’: a houseplant; the sunlight on the pavement on a crisp spring day; being embarrassed; that strange wave you do at cars when they slow down at zebra crossings. A dead houseplant.

From almond croissants to the concept of life itself, Joel Golby embarks on a journey through modern living, leaving no stone unturned – no one thing unreviewed – to consider what it all really means; why we all care so much about opinions; and whether, deep down, it’s better to live a life that’s good rather than, well, five stars out of five.

Is it apt that he only gives his life four stars? Or best to wait and see if things improve, so as to update the review at a later date?

As of this writing, there is a Telegraph review that gives the book 3/5 stars, and 5 ratings on Goodreads that average it out to 3.8 stars. Granted, it doesn’t officially release for another few weeks, so time will tell if the title was truly appropriate.

All things considered, though, it seems like a light read.