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venn diagrams, and commentary progress
The comment function should be working now; however, if you run into an error message, please email me, okay? Because that's the only way I know that something's off. In the meantime, this comment from Robyn on my Auden-esque ramble:
I've decided that my qualifiers for a Great Read (one worthy of shelf space and re-reading and pressing on to others) is, it: made me laugh, made me cry, got me sexually or sensually involved, made me think, and had at least one compelling character who CHANGED or LEARNED and whom I still cared about some time after I had closed the book. For bonus points, or if one of these areas was weak or neglected, having been surprised in a satisfied manner (or satisfied in a way I didn't see coming).Now see, this is why I need input. Because Robyn's qualitative questions work in a way that my venn diagram does not. I suppose my approach has some merits, but it doesn't get to the heart of the matter, basically Robyn's two-pronged question:If it made me see something in a new way, or had a few words that stuck in my head that I had to copy down to read again, that's extra points, too.
If I can't muster that much critical energy, then the fast, economy test for me is a two-pronged question -- Did it keep me in a trance? (judged by, lost track of time, lost track of where I was, wasn't bothered by bodily signals) and, When I came out of the trance, was I glad I had read it? (vs. embarassed, ashamed, cheated of the time, made slightly worse as a person, etc.)
So, interesting -- I, the consumer, judge a read by the effects it has on me. You, the pro, (pro-ducer and pro-fessional) describe it in terms of its structure, prose, etc.
I love your illustration, btw. Putting things in their proper spot on a Venn diagram always makes me feel that the world is in a teeny bit better order [g]
Did it keep me in a trance? (judged by, lost track of time, lost track of where I was, wasn't bothered by bodily signals) and, When I came out of the trance, was I glad I had read it? (vs. embarassed, ashamed, cheated of the time, made slightly worse as a person, etc.)I'm not sure where the compulsion comes from to quantify something so objective and personal as a story. Maybe my academic training; maybe the fact that my right and left brains are always in a struggle for the upperhand. Maybe because it's what I do for a living, and as Robyn says, it just gives me a feeling of having some kind of understanding or control over a process that is opaque by its very nature.
Off to write.
April 13, 2005 10:01 AM
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Comments
Robyn hit the nail on the head for me with her 2 questions.
I can qualify the first one - have missed my bus stop on more than one occasion because I was so engrossed in my read that I forgot I was actually on the bus....
C'mon - tell me I'm not the only one.
Posted by: Alison at April 13, 2005 05:52 PM
I suppose Robyn's comments illustrate the very subjective nature of reading and how people qualify a "good read". There is something that one gets in the buzz of a good read that is hard to objectify. For instance, most people in my bookgroup really liked "The DaVinci Code" which I loathed .... guess I didn't get that buzz when I read it and they did. Though I could go on then to be more analytical and objective in my comments about it but I don't really even want to think about that book much anymore.
Posted by: Jacqui at April 14, 2005 02:51 AM
In regard to Robbie’s Scots speech, how do you pronounce tae? If it rhymes with nay and say, why not spell it tay? So it’s probably not pronounced that way. I definitely like Robyn’s definition of a Great Read. And so, referring to that, on your recommendation of Dunnett’s Niccolo Rising, I picked it up at the library. As good as you said! So I’ve ordered the entire Niccolo series. Thanks for the recommendation. Your suggestions are what I look forward to most in your ruminations.
Posted by: asdfg at April 15, 2005 10:08 AM