The question, what does the author (if the subject is a novel) wants to tell me, is for many the ultimate question. This question is meaningless for me – why? A novel (or a painting, a movie, a piece of music....) with no known originator? A novel originated in ancient time, an entirely different culture? Well, of course, one can argue that an "expert" would be capable to find an answer to our question, therefor he or she is an expert. But...........looking at science.
CSI, the very nice telling that proof is incorruptible. Well.....bloodstains, for example. Bloodstains are bloodstains, a CSI will record them, and then? Then the CSI will interpret them – sorry, interpret them? Yes, interpret them!
A scientist at CERN, a collision, particles, a huge amount of data – data, data is data. Then the work of the scientist begins, he will ponder on the data. Maybe he will find a new theory – a theory? Not the ultimate truth?
A verdict can be wrong, a scientific theory has to have the immanent quality to be possibly wrong. What does the author wants to tell me? Shall I ask him or her – say, that it would be possible? He, or she, possibly will lie to me? But we have the "bloodstains", the "data from the collision", the artwork, the book, the movie, the novel, the painting...........and we have me, the recipient (reader, listener, watcher....).
I'm a person, with my knowledge, my history, my feelings, dreams, hopes, fears. And the artwork? "Boyz n the Hood", shall I be that arrogant that I assume that I saw this movie with the same eyes as an African American living in South Central L.A.? What does John Singleton wanted to tell me with this movie – me, a twenty-six-year-old white man living in Germany?
"Magpie" touches me always extremely, hearing "The Unthanks" (and Niopha Keegan) singing this song. Bristol, Church of St. George Brandon Hill, sung a cappella for three voices – what does the "author" wanted to tell me? No idea, had trouble even to understand my feelings, hearing it, overwhelmed be the heard.
"The Long Goodbye", shall I ask, what does Raymond Chandler felt writing it, the death of his wife – of course, one can ask this question. Shall I ask, what does Raymond Chandler wants to tell me – of course, one can ask this question. But the question that bothers me is, what do I feel when reading "The Long Goodbye" or watching one of the movie adaptions with their very different endings.
"Last Girl On Earth" and "Give Away Your Heart" are two songs, that I'm hardly able to bear. One with such a devastating background, and the other? Is this important when knowing that even millions will not be enough, if.......? There's an artist and an artwork and a recipient, sometimes not even an artist. But in any case – apart from some special relations – there is no direct relation between the recipient and the artist, but between the recipient and the artwork. But this interplay depends very much on the recipient, his or her background, feeling, dreams, fears, hopes..........not from the artwork! I did not live in South L.A. in the 80s and 90s, I do not live there today.