SEE WHAT I MEAN?
SARAH CAMPION, in ane of her Admirable Criterion talks, made an admirable distinction between private language truly incomprehensible to any but the writer and his cronies and language which is difficult but accessible with effart. Recognition of this distinction might save some of those who are baffled by the wholly unintelligible from being classed with those who make no effort to comprehend. I’m not as sure as Miss Campion seemed to be that a rule can be given which will decide to which category a _ particular work belongs. Some are clearly on one side of the line, some as clearly on the other, but every reader has his own threshhold of comprehension (which may vary from time to time) beyond |
which he just hasn’t the equipment to penetrate. There’s not much point in being indignant about writers beyond one’s ken, They are fully entitled to write what no one will understand. They are not entitled to demand to be bought and read, and indignation is justified when a writer who has put himself out of reach of most readers ferociously accuses the same readers
of moral delinquency if they avoid him, This is .a form of blackmail which ought not to be tolerated,
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19571004.2.42.1
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 947, 4 October 1957, Page 24
Word count
Tapeke kupu
207SEE WHAT I MEAN? New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 947, 4 October 1957, Page 24
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in