Let’s Talk
by Julie, vacationing on the Cape and enjoying catching up on reading and watching
I think that the binary thumbs up or thumbs down in regards to works of art have made us less willing to talk about the work itself. “Like” or “dislike” doesn’t matter. Someone liking a book, and another person not liking a book, doesn’t make one person right and the other person wrong. It means that two people had two different experiences, and it would be great to have a conversation. Not to change each other’s minds, but to expand our own.
There is work that is created to appeal, and there’s a place for that. There’s other work that strives to be more. And by striving there will be parts that succeed, and other parts that fail. But work that strives is much more fun to engage in. Work that pushes itself, and pushes me.
Our thumbs up/thumbs down mentality divides us, and aligns us with people in artificial ways. Because most conversations in life, but certainly conversations in art, are about nuances. Does it work for you? If so, why? If not, why not? I’ve been to plays that have made me weep, and I couldn’t explain why. Other people haven’t been moved at all. Does that make me right, and them wrong? No. It means that at that moment, the work affected me likely because it called on some memory or emotional response beyond my understanding.
Why am I bringing this up? I’ve read two books recently (and I won’t name them, so don’t ask) that I need to discuss. The ending of one took me out of the experience. The construct of the second frustrated me, but the story did not. Both are well written, so that’s not the issue. I need to discuss them to help me deconstruct my thoughts, and then put them back together. Thumbs up/thumbs down are not sufficient.
One of the reasons I love theater is that you see different productions of a show, and they are all different. Some are wildly successful. Some less so. It doesn’t serve to compare one to another. Instead each production informs you of the possibilities. And you bring those possibilities to the next experience.
The same can be said for reading in a genre. Say traditional mysteries. If you read broadly, and constantly, you will have a more informed approach to each novel, and that will make you a more critical reader. Not critical in harsh criticism, but critical in understanding the tropes, the ‘rules’, and the possibilities of the genre. And rejoicing when one book transcends the genre in some way.
Barbara Ross recommended that I read The Thursday Murder Club when it first came out. I tried twice, and didn’t “like” it. She recommended I try it again, telling me that if nothing else it was a great exploration of characters, and of storytelling. The third time was the charm, and I have become a tremendous fan of the series. I’ve reread the series as a writer several times. Barb helped me find another way in, and I took it.
Then there’s Ted Lasso. I had heard mixed things about season three, and spent the first day of vacation bingeing it. And then I rewatched all three seasons, and saw how they are all constructed to tell one story. I love the story, the character arcs, the gentle humanity of the team as they come together. For me, the series works on many levels. Does that mean if you don’t like Ted Lasso you’re wrong? No, of course not. It means that it doesn’t work for you. But it may at another time.
I appreciate all of the folks who take time to read and review books. I especially appreciate folks who take the time to let us know what worked, and what didn’t. But we all have to remember that what works for one person may not work for another. Or one person can appreciate a novel on one level, and someone else appreciates it on another. And remember, there’s a gift in discussing it with someone, even if you disagree.
Readers, what have you read or seen that spoke to you and perhaps you alone? My favorite example of that is the movie Ishtar. Considered at the time to be a huge bomb, it made me laugh very hard.
