Harvey - I think what you said about poetry applies to virtually all art forms. Two people looking at the Mona Lisa for the first time won't feel the same way about it. And two people reading the same novel won't get exactly the same thing out of it. All consumers of artistic endeavors react differently. Each individual 'completes' that piece of art in their own unique way.
I recently had someone review my three Sunshine books and I was initially upset by what seemed a bizarre (but not critical) take on those stories. But who am I to question how someone reacts to what I wrote. I'm just happy that they read the stories and it made them feel something. In fact, I'm ecstatic that they felt so strongly about it that they wrote a review!
Harvey - I think what you said about poetry applies to virtually all art forms. Two people looking at the Mona Lisa for the first time won't feel the same way about it. And two people reading the same novel won't get exactly the same thing out of it. All consumers of artistic endeavors react differently. Each individual 'completes' that piece of art in their own unique way.
I recently had someone review my three Sunshine books and I was initially upset by what seemed a bizarre (but not critical) take on those stories. But who am I to question how someone reacts to what I wrote. I'm just happy that they read the stories and it made them feel something. In fact, I'm ecstatic that they felt so strongly about it that they wrote a review!
"I'm just happy they read the stories and it made them feel something ... [and] ecstatic they felt so strongly about it that they wrote a review!"
Exactly, Bob. It's an ego-thing, and the sooner we let that go the better off we are. :-)