“The literary work is not a closed object, but a process of communication.”
What this quote means
Genette invites us to see literature not as a fixed object, but as a living exchange between author and reader. The work comes to life with each reading; each interpretation renews it. It is a bridge, a dynamic process where meaning is constructed in the encounter. This vision extends to all creation: a painting, a piece of music, a film are only complete when perceived, felt, and appropriated by someone. In our daily lives, it reminds us that all communication is a dialogue, a co-creation, and that the other is essential to the realization of what we share.
How to apply it daily
Share a work you love (book, film, painting) with someone, then discuss your interpretations. Discover how the work transforms through the other's gaze.
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