ABSTRACT
As fictional texts were born, diversified and changed in technique and focus, the reader ceased to be a blurry figure in the background and became an active participant in the reconstruction of the text. Standing on the receiving end of the communication axis, she perceives and responds to the narrative by willingly surrendering herself in a game of make-believe as per her own motivations, socio-cultural identity and individual choices. The common denominator unifying readers around the globe is that reading, like writing, is an anthropocentric act. In that respect, we can speak of the ‘Universal Reader,’ who reads to experience lives other than her own, explore human nature and at the same time embark on an adventurous journey into herself. In this chapter, Varotsi introduces the novice writer to that faceless someone that could be sitting anywhere at any given time, reading her work.
