: Re: Where does the power granted by a theme come from? A novel that has a theme - that is, something to say, a message - has a weight to it that a novel without a theme cannot achieve. I'm

@Moriarity138

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At least part of why we read is to learn something --that doesn't mean the characters in the story need to learn something, and it doesn't necessarily mean a moral lesson. You might simply learn what it feels like to be put in an extreme situation, for instance.

Having a theme enhances this sense of learning, and without it, one may feel somehow cheated. On the other hand if the lesson is too explicit, clumsy, or at odds with the plot, that also feels like being cheated (out of an entertaining and believable narrative with its own sense of integrity).

In the case that the theme is subtle, the reader could a) miss it entirely, in which case the reader would probably have the same reaction as to a themeless book, b) perceive the theme subconsciously, which may lead the book to feel unexpectedly satisfying or c) discover it belatedly, which, for many readers would be a happy surprise, and a suggestion that the book is worth close study and/or repeated readings.

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