Grandpa definitely enjoyed listening to Heidi but we finished that several days ago and then it was time to pick something new. Grandma suggested that I read my book to him. I had considered it, but at the same time I wondered if Grandpa could appreciate it. The subject isn’t along Grandpa’s interest and I wasn’t sure if the level of writing might be a bit too advanced. The real reason to read my book to him was if he knew I wrote it and simply was interested in knowing what I had written.
I decided I would give it a try because Grandpa’s brother Doug had a copy he was reading, and when he came over he would talk about it and Grandpa was left out of the loop. If the book was read to Grandpa I thought there might be a chance he might be able to follow any converstion on the subject, or at least feel included. And if Grandpa couldn’t stand the book I could always simply stop reading and pick up a different book.
I felt Grandpa might have no interest because the story subject is foreign to him and because the appeal of the book is its humor and I wasn’t sure he could follow a story well enough to get a joke. But then I also considered the main appeal to Grandpa could simply be hearing someone read, and the content of a story doesn’t matter at all.
It has been interesting reading my story. After having read several other stories out-loud I’m now somewhate sensative to how well a story reads out-loud. Mine does not compare favorably. There is a lot of dialouge that comes in rapid fire for several characters that in writing I didn’t attribute because when you’re reading it to yourself it is apparent who is speaking or replying. It isn’t anywhere near so clear when the story is read out-load, espeically since I can’t dramatize the different voices to distinguish them. To compensate I’ve had to insert dialouge tags as I read to give Grandpa a chance of following the flow of the story.
Then there is also the problem that I’m not very good at verbally giving the inflection of a joke. If it is read silently the person can supply the need tone and rapport. When read out-loud, I have to supply it and I have great difficulty rising much above a monotone. If you read a joke in a monotone it . . . kind of loses its zing. Not that I think Grandpa is paying close enough attention to realize, but I’m the one measuring the quality of the reading.
When I started reading the story to Grandpa I wondered if he would get any of the jokes and laugh at even one. We’re up to chapter nine, and actually he has laughed at one joke (the most obvious, unsubtle, and simple joke, but still . . .). Maybe two. I couldn’t tell if he actually laughed the second time. Given this ratio he might laugh (okay, it rates morea chuckle) one or two more times in the length of the novel. But more importantly he doesn’t seem to be bored out of his mind.
What Grandpa first laughed at was early in the novel when Ben came to town for help and the mayor says to him, “You must bring your eye-witness account to the king so he will be moved by tender emotions and come to our aid. You must fetch the army of the king, Ben. Just like your parents told you. And never fear. Let not a concern touch your empty and innocent mind.”
Grandpa got that one.
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