The Reader Shapes the Story

I recently reread a book I first read almost a year ago because it was being discussed in my book club and I wanted to refresh my memory. It was a well-written book and I enjoyed it both times. Although I have not lived through the exact set of circumstances in the book, I found much I could connect with and relate to in the book. Family relationships, the sometimes bizarre ways we cope with the surrealness of crisis, the mixture of emotions, the frustration of not knowing how to help a loved one, the underlying humour. But I found myself connecting in a slightly different way in the second reading, honing in on different aspects of the story. I think that was largely because of what had happened in my own life over the past year. My reaction reminded me of the reader’s role in the story.

A writer is excited when a reader connects with the story and “gets it.” But a reader can connect in many different ways, enjoy the story, and still not come to the exact conclusion the writer expects. A writer who wants the reader to have a very specific reaction is likely to be disappointed, no matter how skillfully and carefully the story is written. We all bring our own perspectives.

A good story will connect with readers in many different ways. Layers of that story resonate differently from reader to reader. The different perspective may be small, almost trivial. My writers’ group talked about a character in one of the member’s stories. The woman in the story is a nurturer, someone who can’t sit still, someone who fusses over things and people. We all saw that in the character, but I and another member of the group had vastly different images of what the woman physically looked like. I saw a tall, thin woman with graying hair, whereas she saw a short, roundish woman with dark hair. In some cases, the different perspectives the reader brings may lead to interpreting the theme differently or noticing symbolism that eludes some one else.

The book club selection I’d reread was All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews. It is a powerful story told with compassion and humour. The book club discussion reminded me again about the role of the reader. We all connected in one way or another with the core of the story and found many of the same parts particularly moving. But each of us also found different scenes and passages struck a chord. Our personal experiences and histories formed the lens through which we saw and felt the story. Hearing the different ways others reacted to the story enriched my own appreciation of it.

No two persons ever read the same book. ∼Edmund Wilson

Reading a book is like re-writing it for yourself. ∼Angela Carter

Have you experienced a situation where you and a friend experienced the same book quite differently? Writers, have you ever been surprised by what a reader discovered in your story?