The Politics of Art & Authenticity

I’ve always loved reading and disliked being read to. When reading, I can go at my own pace, and I am able to create my own image and interpret the writing without any outside influence. I just don’t enjoy listening to someone reading a book that I could just as easily read myself. It usually takes longer when others read, I get confused, and I can’t even go back to the previous page to remind myself about something or read it again. It also limits my imagination in a way, because the emotions and feelings the reader puts into the reading influences how I feel towards the subjects of the book, too.

Of course, then, it makes sense that I never attended a reading event, and that I probably wouldn’t enjoy it, if I did. So I wasn’t too excited for the reading event with Katherine Vaz either.  After attending it, I can’t say I hated it, but I surely didn’t love it as much as I enjoy reading a book.

Vaz read with emotion and feeling so I was drawn into the story of the lives of John and Mary. I sympathised with them, and felt their pain and their hope, their anger and their love. Vaz explained that her family’s background in similar to that of the characters. Because I understood the context of her writing and what inspired her to create the fictional story I was able to appreciate it more. The picture I got of the story was clearer because of I knew the framework for her writing. Therefore, I think listening to the author read a book is different from having a random person read a book. The author has a special connection to the book, and that transfers over when you hear the author read his/her book.

However, my feelings and emotions towards the story were limited by Vaz’s. The way she read influenced how I felt towards the characters and the story. When I read something, there is nothing that impacts how I feel or react towards the story and characters. I hear only my voice reading silently in my head. I love imagining how the characters look by the minor descriptions that I interpret for myself. It’s for the same reason that I’m not one to watch the film adaptations of books I read.

“Lisbon Story” wasn’t clear, fluid writing. But then, I didn’t expect it to be, after hearing Vaz read a different piece of her writing. Vaz uses many metaphors in her writing. Both when she was reading, and when I was reading, I noticed comparisons and analogies, which can be confusing in writing. When I was listening to Vaz read, I often lost her in midst of a deep metaphor. It was much easier to follow when I was reading myself because I was able to re-read certain parts I felt necessary.

Although I’m not going to resort to listening to people read, I’ve explored the concept and I’m not so opposed to it anymore. I see the benefits and how the reading experience can be so improved. Nonetheless, I am still much more content with cuddling up in my bed to a great book, reading it on my own.