Reading theory

Some stories can only be understood in the context of the ‘era’ when they were written.

I’m re-reading a book I read when I was in college. It’s making about as much sense to me now as it did then. It’s about a young Englishman who graduates from Oxford ..takes a teaching post at a boarding school on a remote Greek island ..then finds himself being lured into the unknown by a Mystic ..and a pair of twin sisters ..in a nearby Mediterranean villa. I go back and look at the date it was originally written ..1965 ..and I think ..that was over a generation ago. I start to wonder what sort of image an Englishman would have had back then. A picture of Sean Connery pops into my head ..playing the role of James Bond. I Google it and, sure enough ..it had a big influence on social behaviour. Everyone wanted to look like a secret agent .. zipping around in an Aston Martin from one exotic location to another ..acting in command of every situation. When I go back and hear myself read it in that ‘voice’ ..imagining Connery’s Scottish accent ..the story starts making sense. The dialogue clears up and reveals how easily ..and cleverly ..he’s being led into a trap.