My Responses to Some of the Hypertexts I Have Interacted With

When first introduced to hypertexts and hyperfiction in class the other day, I found myself both curious and entertained by the imaginative construction of these websites. They invite you to explore the dimensions and knowledge they have chosen to present and often bring a playful quality to their sites. Nevertheless, I am the kind of person who quickly becomes frustrated if things or texts get too abstract so this form of medium quickly put my patience to the test.
In Peace – Play – Space the ongoing revelation of literary texts and pictures of authors caught my interest, however, and I happily clicked through and read the poems. You become so absorbed in reading more literary texts as well as knowing more about the authors by clicking further on, that you almost get a sense of disappointment when meeting a dead-end. Then again, the exploring can be frustrating at the same time as you are constantly worrying that you are missing something better when you click on one word in preference to another.
Whereas another hypertext, The Jew’s Daughter, makes you question the point of it all. Although very imaginative and well-developed, the author could hardly have expected any readers to make sense of the narrative, but rather to have fun with and marvel over the ever-changing text – which brings us back to my poor patience.
Common to the sites we saw in class is the obscurity of the author. You wonder who the author is and why he/she has written and created the words and dimensions he/she has. Was it an experiment, a way to convey an opinion or just a way to pass the time?
In regards to different hypertexts which I have dealt with in other connections – such as readings for school, news updates, etc. – I find there is a great environmental advantage which I much applaud. In this way, I see the progress of hypertexts as extremely positive.
However, old-fashioned as I may be, I prefer my fiction in the traditional way where I can lean back in my armchair with a novel in paper-form and turn each page without the click of a mouse.