Enough of the free junk on Craigslist Maine, we have discovered a new treasure trove of creativity – product reviews on Amazon.com!

If you have ever shopped online, it's likely you have purchased from Amazon.com, or at least searched products on the site or been enticed by Google to click a suggested product available on Amazon. But when you shop online, how can you be sure the product up for consideration is worth buying?

Serious shoppers seek the help of professional product reviewers and other shoppers, and there are blogs devoted to reviews on everything from toys and family travel to home appliances, health insurance and orthodontic care.

Amazon, like other online stores, also offers reviews of its products, which include posts by other consumers and a star-rating system. But wise consumers take those reviews with a grain of salt, because there is no way to verify that a product garnering five stars and glowing reviews has earned the ranking by actual satisfied owners of the product. It is quite possible the maker of the product, their employees and family members, and even paid posters are the ones singing the product's praises.

And then, there is another facet to the business of product reviews by the public.

Reviewing for the sake of entertainment.

Thanks to one simple post on Facebook today, our curious minds couldn't help mousing over the hotlink and pressing down on the mouse button to learn more about the Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer.

As of Jan. 17, Amazon had logged 2,149 customer reviews, and the Hutzler 571 had garnered 3-1/2 out of 5 stars.

Scrolling down to view "The most helpful favorable review" revealed this post:

5.0 out of 5 stars
No more winning for you, Mr. Banana!
Published 22 months ago By SW3K

"For decades I have been trying to come up with an ideal way to slice a banana. "Use a knife!" they say. Well...my parole officer won't allow me to be around knives. "Shoot it with a gun!" Background check...HELLO! I had to resort to carefully attempt to slice those bananas with my bare hands. 99.9% of the time, I would get so frustrated that I just ended up squishing the fruit in my hands and throwing it against the wall in anger. Then, after a fit of banana-induced rage, my parole officer introduced me to this kitchen marvel and my life was changed. No longer consumed by seething anger and animosity towards thick-skinned yellow fruit, I was able to concentrate on my love of theatre and am writing a musical play about two lovers from rival gangs that just try to make it in the world. I think I'll call it South Side Story.

Banana slicer...thanks to you, I see greatness on the horizon. "

Amazon balances that review in a helpful "Vs." format with "The most helpful critical review," which follows.

2.0 out of 5 stars
Angle is wrong
Published 5 months ago By J. Anderson

"I tried the banana slicer and found it unacceptable. As shown in the picture, the slices is curved from left to right. All of my bananas are bent the other way."

The 2,149 reviews breakdown of stars for the Hutzler 571 goes like this:

5 stars – 1,107
4 stars – 248
3 stars – 241
2 stars – 174
1 star – 379

Below the "Most helpful favorable" review Vs. the "Most helpful critical" review are all of the reviews logged to date for the Hutzler 571. In addition, most reviews have comments on them, adding to the banter, pro and con (and tongue in cheek) for the product.

Suffice it to say, O-M-G! This is as much fun reading as any irreverent website out there.

For example...

5.0 out of 5 stars
Saved my marriage
July 30, 2012 By Mrs Toledo

"What can I say about the 571B Banana Slicer that hasn't already been said about the wheel, penicillin, or the iPhone.... this is one of the greatest inventions of all time. My husband and I would argue constantly over who had to cut the day's banana slices. It's one of those chores NO ONE wants to do! You know, the old "I spent the entire day rearing OUR children, maybe YOU can pitch in a little and cut these bananas?" and of course, "You think I have the energy to slave over your damn bananas? I worked a 12 hour shift just to come home to THIS?!" These are the things that can destroy an entire relationship. It got to the point where our children could sense the tension. The minute I heard our 6-year-old girl in her bedroom, re-enacting our daily banana fight with her Barbie dolls, I knew we had to make a change. That's when I found the 571B Banana Slicer. Our marriage has never been healthier, AND we've even incorporated it into our lovemaking. THANKS 571B BANANA SLICER!"

And this...

5.0 out of 5 stars
GREAT Gift
August 3, 2012 By Uncle Pookie

"Once I figured out I had to peel the banana before using - it works much better.
Ordering one for my nephew who's in the air force in California. He's been using an old slinky to slice his banana's. He should really enjoy this product!"

And this...

5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally! A way to slice bananas!
March 4, 2012 By N. Krumpe

"Gone are the days of biting off slice-sized chunks of banana and spitting them onto a serving tray. At long last there is a saliva-free way of slicing bananas. Thank you Hutzler!

Next on my wish list: a kitchen tool for dividing frozen water into cube-sized chunks."

And finally, we share this lamentable story, and 1-star review...

1.0 out of 5 stars
This product ruined my life
August 28, 2012 By Unemployed...again

"I guess I had what you would call a classic "ninja makes good" story. It's a cliche at this point, but a lifetime of ninjitsu training in a remote Japanese dojo had made me a silent and relentless killing machine. Eventually, however, I could no longer ignore the ethical and moral implications of my trade. I turned my back on my former life and set about making an honest living. The one thing I could do - better than anyone - was slice a banana into perfect, even slices. My work was a wonder to behold. My list of clients included heads of state, famous actors, even a Kardashian. I gave back by slicing bananas for children's hospital patients, entertaining the young ones with my swift yet deft katana work.

I was on top of the world.

When the calls first started to slow down, I blamed the economy. A luxury service like mine, surely, would be the first to go in a global economic meltdown. I felt pity for my clients, a pity that would soon prove the source of bitter irony, for it was THEY who should have pitied ME.

One night, feeling sorry for a favorite client (a leading political and intellectual light who loved her bananas sliced just so), I decided to bestow upon her a gift. How delighted she would be, I thought to myself, when she awoke in the morning and found a perfectly sliced banana, just waiting for her cereal and milk. How she would savor each bite of this lost luxury.

My feet glided silently across the rooftops of the city until I alit upon her roof. Creeping noiselessly down the wall, my heart beating in anticipation, I reached the kitchen window. But before I could slide my fingers to the window to open it, I beheld a horrifying scene. Wielding a 571B, she quickly prepared perfect, even banana slices and scattered them lazily on a bed of wheaties.

It was then that I knew. I was an anachronism, out of place in this modern world, supplanted by a piece of plastic with perfectly spaced banana cutters.

I've returned to my old life these days. Mostly assassinations for hire, with the occasional kidnapping to break up the monotony. Every now and then I'll slice a banana, just to prove I've still got it. But no one really appreciates the true art of the ninja anymore. "Even my 571B can do THAT," they say. But I know. And after I cut off their hands and say "where's your precious 571B NOW?" they know it too.

I'm giving this product one star because it's just IMPOSSIBLE to clean."

Read the reviews for the Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer yourself here.

We checked, and the Chef'n StemGem Strawbeery Stem Remover has 222 customer reviews and has garnered a whopping 4-1/2 stars, but the Canned Unicorn Meat reviews, well, you'll just have to read them for yourself.

Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards can be reached by email at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com or by calling 207-706-6655.