Thursday, December 18, 2008

"What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers." ~Logan Pearsall Smith

The idea Smith tries to convey is similar to the previous quote I have commented on.  He states that he appreciates the skill of a writer  that is not derived from the obvious context of the text, but rather the underlying meaning.  In his eyes, anyone can write what he "says" with text with a singular meaning, but it takes ability to write what he "whispers" with text with multiple subliminal meanings and interpretations.

For the most part, I do agree with Smith's beliefs on this subject.  I do appreciate those who are able to write a piece with multiple meanings and underlying messages giving them slightly more praise than those who write one-dimensionally.  However, this does not necessarily mean that those who write straightforwardly are without ability as their work has value for different uses than those of multi-faceted writing.       

2 comments:

Bill said...

I agree. What makes reading so enjoyable is the fact that authors don't blatantly state thier beliefs; they leave it up to the reader to figure it out.

Ben L. said...

Wow, this piece was impressive, not going to lie.