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Originally Posted by Mormegil
Just to make sure I understand you view correctly, If even one person is not disenchanted at all then the author did not fail? Or would it be more of a majority of people? But if it's a majority which population is it based on? The people who enjoy the book or the entire population that has ever read the book?
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The author would have succeeded with that one person - which is the important thing - as far as both the author & that reader are concerned. It means that the author/artist has produced a true work of art, which has opened the heart/mind/soul of another human being to another world.
An artist's relationship is not with a 'mass' but with each individual reader/listener/viewer. Its a one to one thing. In Mythopoea Tolkien speaks of 'living shapes that move from mind to mind' - its a two way thing one mind puts out, the other takes in. Tolkien's 'relationship' is not with x million readers but with me as an
individual & with you as an
individual. Of course, there may be a failure of communication on this level - an artist can only do his/her best, but a reader, equally, must do
their best. The artist only has to succeed in enchanting one person with their work to be considered successful, because the artist's intent is to 'enchant' the (generally speaking) unknown/unknowable recipient of their art. Tolkien succeeded in enchanting me, therefore he succeeded totally -
in his intent, which was to enchant 'the' reader of his work.
Waits for in evitable argument.......