Interpreting Literature

By Roger Colins

I actually have a great deal to say on this subject but for the sake of the reader's eyes I'll try as always to keep things as short and concise as possible.

I've finished and published The Post Office part one so should anyone have an electronic viewing device and an interest in spy thrillers, feel free to check it out from Amazon here.

You can also follow the link in the top right of this page for the other posts I've made on the book. I'll be sending off a few emails to fiction agents in the coming week so with a little luck you might even be able to pick up a copy in paperback, some time.


A Depressing Finish

I always imagined that upon finishing any work of an immense mass, there would be some sort of satisfaction involved but upon encountering this particular experience, nothing could be farther from the truth.

Now, I strongly believe in the initial premise for writing this book. I still believe it is the finest thing I have done and am confident that with time and a few follow up novels it find will a small modicum of success. I do not feel that there is nothing more to do. Sometimes this odd depression can arise as there may be an emptiness in the realisation that I don't know what I am going to do next. It is difficult to explain but that is after all, the whole point.

I have felt no accomplishment in finishing this book because it works. I wrote the whole thing from beginning to end for myself and as far as I am concerned I hit the bullseye, I would have accepted nothing less.

The depression stems from the fact that I will never get to read it for the first time and seems something not too far removed from suicide. There's a lingering irony and humour there somewhere and can't help but assume I'd actually feel better if it gets panned by the critics, as I would have my evidence that it was not understood.

Alas, I suppose I should have seen this coming but since I did not, it is worthwhile leaving a brief caution for those that endeavour to do likewise and write for themselves.


Insanity

One theme I have included in the book was on perspective. We have all heard that a painting can tell a thousand words but a book, can have a million different perspectives. The plasticity of the brain just shifts things around when we go through a bunch of sentences. Even scientists and reporting journalists will get comments and feedback that go right from one end of the spectrum to the other.

It appears utterly pointless to hear interpretations of literature because each person's interpretation is going to be different. Sure, one can share thoughts and point out bits that another missed but there we have it again, that first read.

The first time is not only irreplaceable but unchangeable as well. Therefore, what I have attempted to do in the most studious way is to write something that can be read differently the second time. In doing this, my hope is that all that do read it will find their own personal interpretation entirely separated from all others, as well as find something new with each follow up read.

Having said that, there is more. I also kept the prose, rhythm and style quite linear. This, in order that the first read is not damaged and, so that we might be able to appreciate just how fallible literature really is.

Even though I wrote this in military fashion, even though I sorted through grammar books and thesaurus's and the greats to ensure that there is nothing, not one word in the document that can be misinterpreted, underneath there is a universe for each individual.

Consider those books and novels that are, dubious. The book with a turn of phrase, a saying or proverb or quote of wisdom, a life affirmation to elicit some sort of emotional response. If my book turns to water then these others must turn to plasma.

Words are not thoughts. Collect a few words together and you'll get a picture but move some around and the picture changes. We all have our own way of attaching words to a thought and even though we may wish that they be uniform, they are not. Not even close. Us English speakers should consider ourselves lucky with our million word vocabulary and gold medal eloquence factor but compare that stunning accomplishment of human history to the brain in your skull, would be to compare a letter to an alphabet.


#literature #ThePostOffice #interpretation