Hatchet Job of the Year!
The Hatchet Job of the Year is an annual prize given out to the professional book review that most elegantly disembowels its critical target. The prize is a year's supply of potted shrimp. Many people find the Hatchet Job of the Year distasteful, but I think we should reward good hate writing. It's not as easy as it looks.
This year's prize goes to A.A. Gill of the Sunday Times, who hatcheted Morrissey's autobiography as "utterly devoid of insight, warmth, wisdom or likability." (Note the British do not use the Oxford comma.) The review itself is harrumphing and put-upon, but manages to convey real spleen. Well done, old bean.
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