That's fair enough, but all too often criticism seems to be an art form in itself. You've probably never encountered Newsnight Review (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newsnight_Review#Newsnight_Review) (in which case you're lucky) but I find it hard to watch people talk seriously about this stuff without wondering what gives them the right to do so (plus i disagree with their reviews quite a lot of the time).

Also, is Moby Dick worth slogging through? I've contemplated reading it but get the impression that it's about 10% story (by volume) and that most of the rest would probably go over my head.