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Position:Home>Books & Authors> The right book at the right time?Question: The right book at the right time!? It often seems that the book I choose, seemingly randomly, proves to be the perfect book at just the right moment in my life, bringing up thoughts relevant to the things I am living through!.
My question is, do you think we just read what's in front of us and get lucky on the timing, or do you think that we read into books what we need from them at the moment!? If the second, how do you suppose that would make the author feel!?Www@QuestionHome@Com Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I'm in the second camp!. For a few reasons - because I know I do it, I often have a completely different view of a work than others who've read it; early on I stumbled across an analysis of Moby Dick that stated that Melville's intent was to create a work where the interpretation was wholly dependent upon the reader, I accepted this and applied to everything (there are supposed ethical implications in inferring a meaning onto a book that the writer didn't intend, but my literary heroes - Vonnegut, Heller, O'Brien, etc - seem to find it flattering when people find things they weren't totally aware of themselves); as a writer I try to use a consistency in devices and themes that will allow the reader some freedom in how they perceive the piece; and finally because I think it is just human nature to get what we need from where ever we can, especially intellectually or emotionally!. How the writer would feel!? This comes into one of my favorite literary topics - the literary movements!. I think post-modernists expect their readers to infer meaning on their work, but some earlier movements were certainly more targeted!. Satires are pretty hard to take out of context in general!. A lot of medieval literature is pretty staunch in how it wants to be interpreted, naturalists would seem to have a problem if you didn't grasp what they intended as well as what you perceive!. Didactic writers would want you to get their message for certain!. I mean we could go through a million classifications and try to flesh out the intent of the author, but the most important aspect of writing is that it's a form of communication!. The writer sends out his message, and the reader responds to that message - the writer has no say in how the reader does so!. I think that's beauty of the whole thing!. I can answer for certain for one author: "I'm charmed that you would dig this out!." - Kurt Vonnegut responding to Walter James Miller in 1973 on the radio program Reader's Almanac when Miller pointed out a vast array of parallels between his character, Roland Weary from Slaughterhouse Five, and the hero Roland from the Song of Roland!. Vonnegut's initial reaction was "I lucked out, as I've never thought of the parallel !.!.!. except that Roland was a name from Chivalry!." In my book, if Vonnegut's okay with people getting things from his work that he didn't deliberately intend, then everyone should be!. Sorry if I went on a few rabbit hunts, but I liked this question very much!.Www@QuestionHome@Com People have a way of finding their books!. More true, perhaps of non-fiction than fiction!. I spent some time in my youth pursuing a certain line of spiritual instruction, and often it seemed that when I selected a book at random, even for a disrelated reason, it would nonchalantly resume the lesson where I had left off!. Two very important spiritual/philosophical books I found because I was feeling pooped and looked in the card catalogue under energy!. These were Psychic Energy -- Its Source and Transformation, by Mary Esther Harding, and Voluntary Controls, by Jack Schwarz!.Www@QuestionHome@Com well, i think we read books that we need in that moment!. if we notice it or not when we pick the book up, our mind turns it into something we may have needed!. And i think the author would be proud that someone took something from there writing and applied it to there life!. (isn't that what writing is for!? For one person to share their stories and knowledge, and another to take it in and lean from it!?)Www@QuestionHome@Com I think the second is more relevant because even if the events of a book don't correlate to your life, the message will!. I think the author ( a humble author) would be honored that someone could attach themselves so strongly to the story!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Oh, it's no mistake, I've come to believe that we get just what we need at just the right time!. The universe has a unique way of providing!. I'm sure some authors would be honored to be a contributing part of our lives!. Www@QuestionHome@Com God your deep!. I think that we get lucky and if the author knew he either wouldnt give a damn or think it was sweet, i would think it was a mix between bothWww@QuestionHome@Com I always thought it was the first one!. Just one big coincidence that what is in front of us is there exactly because we need it at the moment!. I used to think of it as some kind of attraction, like a magnet; we send out a wave of emotion and the right book feels the pull and answers!. Or the opposite; the book somehow senses that you need it and pulls you to it!. Or that there is someone who can sense your emotion, who thinks they know exactly what you could use and puts the book where you're bound to find it and read it!. It amazed me that this could happen!. Whenever it did I'd stop reading and physically look around for something, anything that would indicate that!. I'd stare at the cover wondering if the book had a personality, hoping it would tell me what made it come!. The first place I would search for a "sign" was under my bed!. Then I'd be suspicious of the doorways; was someone peeking in to see what my reaction to the book was!? Every few sentences I'd glance up!. I was convinced that there was someone watching me, looking out for me, you know!? (In hindsight, that sounds pretty paranoid!. But it did give me a good feeling when I believed it!. You can tell I was a dreamer!.) I don't hold onto that anymore, though!. It's obvious, to me at least, that two is more reasonable!. I know I read meanings into books depending on what I need!. I think being able to contribute or bring something to a book is one of the things I appreciate most about reading!. I like to draw parallels to my life from books or find something I can relate to!. I'm no writer but, as for how authors feel, I'd like to assume that they would be glad their books contributed to a life!. Maybe they'd feel that their work did have meaning and value, not just to them but to others as well!. Maybe they'd be surprised that their work could be multi-faceted!. I think I would!. But I also wonder if they'd be (not so much offended as) disappointed if their original intention wasn't at least acknowledged!. I know I get frustrated when others don't understand what I write or what I say!. I sort of compromise with books; I read and get whatever I get, reread the book some other time, then look up what the author meant for readers to understand!. That way I can have both!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |