The Potential for Aesthetic Experience in a Literary App: An analysis of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Abstract

This analysis of the literary app The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is theoretically grounded in Wolfgang Iser’s theories of aesthetic response and multimodal social semiotics. The first part of the analysis shows how aesthetic meaning comes to the fore in different modes and in the interplay between them. The second part deals with the interactivity of the app and shows how the reader’s interaction with the tablet may influence the wandering viewpoint (Iser, 1984) and let it take different paths, transforming the reader into a real-time participant in the story. The article argues that touch interaction may enrich aesthetic experiences by evoking feelings in the reader, and that interactive tasks can prolong aesthetic experiences. In addition, the performing of interactive tasks may underline certain aspects of the story.