out of everything here, I think it's this line that bugged me the most: "in a book (or movie or tv show) the reader can either keep reading, or stop. that's it

out of everything here, I think it's this line that bugged me the most: "in a book (or movie or tv show) the reader can either keep reading, or stop. that's it. that's as far as their agency can go." At best, this is overly naive. At worst, it feels like intellectual dishonesty. I can start or I can stop. I can rewind a chapter, forget about it for a month, pass out listening to an audio book. Some times, depending on my mood, the book, and my interaction with that book can be dramatically different. And all these things are going to change my perception and interaction with that book. Even if it's a book I've read before and know how it ends, there is a lot more that feed into "agency" than just 100% on or off.