The question of how much weight an author’s intentions should hold in a discussion of what readers perceive, and how a text is read and taught, is hotly debated. I tend to lean toward giving more credence to the author’s personal beliefs (insofar as they may be known), the historical context, the social and political context in which a book is written, in order to call an Important Work of Literature “good” or “bad.” But when it comes down to everyday, ordinary, read-in-bed-with-the-covers-pulled-up-to-my-chin, satisfying novels, I go with my gut every time.