--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The main thing about the novel that is…" description: "\"The main thing about the novel that is totally fascinating: It's not possessed by the writer; it's possessed by the reader.\" — Jane Smiley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/865/jane-smiley-2120_books_the-main-thing-about-the-novel-that-is-t_2215127.png" --- # The main thing about the novel that is totally… ![“The main thing about the novel that is totally fascinating: It's not possessed by the writer; it's possessed by the reader.” quote by Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/865/jane-smiley-2120_books_the-main-thing-about-the-novel-that-is-t_2215127.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/865/jane-smiley-2120_books_the-main-thing-about-the-novel-that-is-t_2215127.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/865/jane-smiley-2120_books_the-main-thing-about-the-novel-that-is-t_2215127.png) > “The main thing about the novel that is totally fascinating: It's not possessed by the writer; it's possessed by the reader.” [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The novel becomes a space where readers bring their own experiences, making it their own rather than just the author's creation. **In simple terms:** Readers shape the story, not just the writer. Key Takeaway Embrace your personal interpretation. Themes interpretation ownership reader agency Mood reflective engaged Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - book clubs - creative writing workshops - literary analysis - personal reflection Key Concepts subjectivity narrative agency participatory reading Questions to Reflect On - How does your background change the story? - What does ownership of a narrative feel like? A Different Perspective The author's intent may still influence meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Says I to myself” should be the motto of my journal. 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When I had horses at the racetrack, I would wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/horse-racing-is-really-much-more-intimidating-than-anything-having-to/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) > [“Had I faced all the facts It seemed like I had but actually you never know just by remembering how many there were to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/had-i-faced-all-the-facts-it-seemed-like-i-had-but-actually-you-never/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) > [A theory of creativity is actually just a metaphor. A pool of ideas, a well of memories, a voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/a-theory-of-creativity-is-actually-just-a-metaphor-a-pool-of-ideas-a/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) > [There are hundreds of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings around the United States and in other countries, too. Wright lived into his 90s, and one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/there-are-hundreds-of-frank-lloyd-wright-buildings-around-the-united/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) [Explore all 185 Jane Smiley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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