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5. Outlook Spreading the pieces found,
and explaining the findings, would have to be followed by a
conceptual discussion, by classification, clarification, and
theory. In this article I have given precedence to a
description of the findings; this is not meant to diminish
the value of a theoretical discussion, but that discussion
cannot be held at this point. I will therefore limit myself
to an "outlook," and conclude with a surprise: The way in
which "Quibbling" was read, perhaps even wants to be read,
namely slowly, with a lot of reconstruction, with attention
over long spans of time, in a cautious process of groping,
detecting and preserving traces - all this points to moments
of reflection. Though not continuously, the reader is always
made to return to himself or herself, his or her reception
is becoming a riddle to himself or herself (hence,
"riddling"). Among the most surprising
experiences in this "interactive fiction" is the length of
time and the patience with which I sustained this
complicated, tedious way of reading without losing
attention; it shows that language will support us for a long
period of time. That there was no "closure," where the
reader would have been exhausted before the story would have
been fully exploited, looks as if "Quibbling" had secret
powers. And these, I think, have far more to do with
language than with technology. |
