Quote:
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Originally Posted by MrP 2. "To read" in the sense "to bear reading", "to be readable" is recorded from 1668; in the sense, "to have a specified character when read", "to produce a certain impression on the reader", from 1731. |
Finally.
Now, I wonder...
Given the wording here, "to produce a certain impression on the reader", the first thing that comes to mind is who or rather what is the semantic subject, the thing producing the impression. It's certainly not the reader, the person, nor is it 'the book' per se - Andrew's intuition speaks loudly, and tenatiously, against that. So then, could the true subject of mediopassive
read be a projection or extension of the verb phrase itself;i.e.,
The book reads well means
Reading the book produces a good impression on the reader?
All the best.