I don’t think we do. When we read, we are bringing to it the sum of all our experiences – in life and other books – which is why reading is an active process, not a passive one. I take inferences, make connections, have responses that are different to those of the other reader. (This is especially true for me, because the people with whom I share books most of the time are 10 year olds.) We make connections that grow out from us like fungal mycelium. It’s the opposite of a closed circle; it’s...