Can a book have a feeling?
I was drawn to the expression, “The book feels expressive” in the following sentence of the article titled “The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Family” in The New Yorker February 4 issue:
“In any case, it may be that “The Triple Package” like “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” isn’t really about its argument. The book feels expressive, rather than analytical. Chua and Rubenfeld are self-conscious tiger parents.” http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2014/02/the-battle-hymn-of-the-tiger-family.html
The format of [Subject+ feel +adjective] may not be uncommon. But I wonder;
- Can an inanimate object such as book, desk, airplane, house ‘feel,’ i.e. have a human sensation like expressive, impressive, fashionable, swift, dull and so on?
- Is this just a figurative expression? Can we say 'books love bibliophiles' as well as 'bibliophiles love books'?
- Does the word, ‘feel’ have the meanings of ‘is felt (to me),’ or 'give the feeling (to me)' as an intransitive verb?
Would you clarify why a book can “feel”?
It is not the book that feels, but rather the feeling that the book gives the reader. You can understand it by substituting the word seems: The book seems expressive.
In this usage, the writer is saying that the book's author wants to share a personal experience without making a value judgement about it.
I believe in the case which you quoted, the correct reading is a metaphorical/reflective one: to me the book feels expressive, which is quite similar to saying, the book is powerful, vibrant, creative, passionate, etc., all reflecting the ability of writers who can convey this feeling through their words.
Inanimate objects such as books, desks, airplanes and houses do not feel. They may have a feel to them (a sensation given by an object or material when touched, like the smoothness of soft leather, the firmness of wood, etc.). A house can feel cozy, where feel is an intransitive verb, meaning giving an overall impression or effect; atmosphere.
Part of the usage of 'feel' for inanimate objects (and one might argue something must have an anima, a life force or soul to feel) is related to different meanings for the word, and a smaller part is due to inappropriate usage of the word.
The book is powerful and profound – coming straight from the heart. (a book review)
The Publishers Weekly website said that the book is "intelligent, amusing and insightful..."
And here, in this last example, you might see how inappropriately the words are used, if you know anything of Dan Brown's writing:
The book is creative and intellectually challenging under the genius of Dan Brown.