It's weird how expectations influence your experience of something. Last week I went to see the South Downs/Browning Version double bill at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London, partly because Nicholas Farrell, whom I hugely admire, received rave notices from all the critics.
I found his performance disappointing. I felt that he was acting old, rather than being old; he seemed a little mannered and never quite inhabited the frail heart of the character he was playing. (Anna Chancellor, on the other hand, was blazingly, unpleasantly brilliant).
Then last night I went to see Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, because I had loved the book, even though the kindest reviews of the film were mediocre. It turned out to be perfect fodder for a wet Wednesday evening -- gently funny, well performed, unpretentious.
Expectation is a tricky thing to handle, for writers as well as everybody else. You have to contend with your own expectations regarding the quality of your work and the likelihood of publication; if you have any kind of track record you have to deal with other people's expectations too. Well handled, they can be a positive creative pressure, but if you are thinking too much about your performance and what others will make of it, you're likely to come undone. The writing is all, it is an end in itself.
As my recent cultural outings have demonstrated, preconceptions are there to be thwarted, so don't put yourself under too much stress when you're working -- that way, you'll give yourself the best chance of trouncing other people's expectations...
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