I didn’t really like this and I think it is mainly due to the fact I disagree with what it proposes. It features a writer who cannot enjoy all the positive reviews for his latest work since he feels that all reviewers are missing the most important point he is trying to make. When one such reviewer is alerted to his error, he tries to find the missing, overarching point.
I think books cannot be viewed this black and white. Reading a book is always an interpretation and I feel that not everyone should get the same from a book. The author of course will put his intentions into the work, but it is for the reviewer/reader themselves to determine whether they take that intention from the book or not. There is no right and wrong here, in my opinion.
The Figure in the Carpet (Little Black Classics #49) – Henry James
Url Phantomhive 
Yeah I don’t like the concept for this one. I agree that there isn’t just one interpretation to a book and I think this is way too much in favour of authorial intent being king! It’s kind of reductive
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Oy vey.
Of course, with it being James, I’m not surprised. His Portrait of a Lady left me with the impression that he was the quintessential 20th century “classic” kind of author even while only being alive in the 20th century for a short time.
Arrogant, pompous and convinced of his worth and greatness, which was measured by his own yardstick and nobody else’s. Amazing what you can “interpret” about an author, hahahhaaaa. I really have no idea if the previous statement about him is true at all or not, so don’t take it seriously. That is just my impression from reading one book.
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It is kind of the impression I got from this story as well…
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