{Literary Criticism [continued]}[29th May 1988]

[Redbook5:131][19880529:1818b]{Literary Criticism [continued]}[29th May 1988]

.1818

[continued]

I suspect that in order to gain something from my fictions, you have to have either some cultural depth or a reasonably relaxed and open mind. Mind you, no one should be too surprised at being confused – e.g. by 'By Music' (she* has reached page 88)** 'By what?'*** – when the Narrator is obviously confused himself. But she may also be wrestling with two other factors which would make many readers grumpy: first, the suspicion one is likely to have (rightly or wrongly) that one's own inability to comprehend is a sign of one's own inadequacy; but second, the nature of the message put across by xS, +Mk, and xP particularly, in those first 88 pages [of [2]], about the kind of life [which as a matter of fact] one is likely to be leading.

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She has read xS's final session, and seems rather dazed; but interested.**** She also says – pure gold! – that she finds the characters believable. Bless her.#

*[See last previous entry.]

**[Of [2] typescript]

***["But how do you plan to do this?" I asked him.

"By Music."

"By what?"

"By Music. That at least should not surprise you."

[– [2](Subject to revision)]]

****enough to want to discuss it later.

#{But she borrowed the book, and now says she has read little more of it. I have asked her to pass it on.}

[[2] is a sequel to [1] which is a sequel to [0], neither of which she had read, which might have some bearing on this reaction. Or it might be considered difficult, unreadable, or simply boring. <20180501>]

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