"The great work must inevitably be obscure, except to the very few, to those who like the author himself are initiated into the mysteries. Communication then is secondary: it is perpetuation which is important. For this only one good reader is necessary"
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Miller is doing what he often does: turning a defense mechanism into an aesthetic creed. “The great work must inevitably be obscure” isn’t just a claim about difficulty; it’s a preemptive strike against the marketplace’s oldest demand: be legible, be liked, be saleable. By insisting that greatness “must” be obscure, he recasts marginal reception as proof of depth, not failure. It’s a writer’s inversion of cultural hierarchy: the crowd is not the jury, it’s the disqualifying evidence.
The key word is “initiated.” Miller borrows the language of esoteric orders to frame reading as a rite, not consumption. That’s both romantic and strategic. Romantic because it flatters the ideal reader as a co-conspirator in “mysteries” rather than a customer. Strategic because it shifts responsibility away from the author’s clarity and onto the reader’s readiness. If you don’t get it, you’re not merely unconvinced; you’re uninitiated.
Then comes the real tell: “Communication then is secondary: it is perpetuation which is important.” Miller’s ambition isn’t to transmit a message cleanly; it’s to survive time. He’s writing against the disposable present, wagering that endurance matters more than immediate comprehension. The closing line - “For this only one good reader is necessary” - is both humble and defiant. It imagines literature as a relay, not a broadcast: a single devoted reader can carry the flame forward. Underneath, you can hear Miller pleading for a future that vindicates him, and daring the present to misunderstand him.
The key word is “initiated.” Miller borrows the language of esoteric orders to frame reading as a rite, not consumption. That’s both romantic and strategic. Romantic because it flatters the ideal reader as a co-conspirator in “mysteries” rather than a customer. Strategic because it shifts responsibility away from the author’s clarity and onto the reader’s readiness. If you don’t get it, you’re not merely unconvinced; you’re uninitiated.
Then comes the real tell: “Communication then is secondary: it is perpetuation which is important.” Miller’s ambition isn’t to transmit a message cleanly; it’s to survive time. He’s writing against the disposable present, wagering that endurance matters more than immediate comprehension. The closing line - “For this only one good reader is necessary” - is both humble and defiant. It imagines literature as a relay, not a broadcast: a single devoted reader can carry the flame forward. Underneath, you can hear Miller pleading for a future that vindicates him, and daring the present to misunderstand him.
Quote Details
| Topic | Writing |
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