The best way with music, I imagine, is not to bring the forces of our intellect to bear upon it, but to be still and let it work on that part of us for whose sake it exists. We spoil countless precious things by intellectual greed. He who will be a man, and will not be a child, must-he cannot help himself-become a little man, a dwarf. he will, however, need no consolation, for he is sure to think himself a very large creature indeed.
George MacDonald, from The Fantastic Imagination
How often do we ruin great work by tearing it apart and inspecting every inch of it? It is like buying a brand new car, tearing it apart completely, and then declaring it a great feat of engineering. That's great, but now your car is a worthless pile of parts.
Now, I enjoy a good, intellectual discussion of a film or book, but there is a limit. Too often we dissect a thing of beauty until there is no beauty left to enjoy. There were several books we studied in school that were destroyed by digging too deep and reaching for meaning that was not there and was never intended. I know that these studies were supposed to help us understand the craft of writing and see symbols and themes, but more often than not it merely drained the book of all enjoyment.
Because of this, I have never been a big fan of critics. Too often they lay an unfair criterion on a piece, and then criticize it for not being what they thought it should be. It often does not matter what the artist intended. They dissect things and try to make them more important than the creator ever intended.
I am reminded of the critics who said that Tolkein's
Lord of the Rings saga was an allegory of World War II, even though Tolkein himself consistently denied it. Sure, he took themes from the events of his life (like all good artists) but that does not mean it was intended to be a direct allegory. Yet, some critics probably still believe that was his goal.
So, instead of intellectual dissection of art, why not merely enjoy something, even though you may not understand why? Perhaps someday in the future, you will see what it is that struck you so deeply. But for now, just enjoy, like children who enjoy without questioning.
But indeed your children are not likely to trouble you about the meaning. They find what they are capable of finding, and more would be too much. For my part, I do not write for children, but for the childlike. whether of five, or fifty, or seventy-five.
George MacDonald, from The Fantastic Imagination
The Complete Fairy Tales by George MacDonald
