I feel for writers, I do.   You work hard, you put all of yourself into your work, and do your very best.  Your work gets published, and then the messages you get back from readers is weird beyond measure.  Yesterday I read a review of an anthology I edited.  In it the reviewer, who I respect, called one of the stories in the book ‘terrible’.  I don’t think it is, and was a little non-plussed. Then this morning I received an email from someone else who I respect a great deal, and by purest chance they mentioned the same story and called it close to perfect. I find that fascinating.  And no, I won’t name the story because the author doesn’t need thje grief. But, very interesting.