We act like stories exist in a vacuum. They don’t.
A book at midnight is not the same book on a crowded train.
Reading conditions feed into the narrative system.
Context Alters Comprehension
Your brain handles language differently:
- Tired at night? You skim emotional beats and miss nuance
- Busy commute? You half-hear the text under external noise
- Quiet morning? The same chapter lands differently
The text hasn’t changed; the environment has.
Distraction as Noise
Like signal processing:
- External interruptions reset immersion
- You remember the gist, not the detail
- Emotional impact blunts when split with phone notifications
The book’s output depends on input conditions.
Why It Matters
Criticism that ignores reading context misses half the picture.
When you talk about how a book made you feel, ask:
- Where were you?
- What else competed for your attention?
- Would it feel different under other conditions?
Meaning isn’t fixed. It’s environmental.