Writers and readers
Gave some of my more general subject essays to my mother to read. She is yet another philologist in the family. The verdict - likes the writing, has trouble relating to the "protagonist". Does not quite understand what I am trying to say and why I am saying it. Spent a long time trying to explain one essay - don't think I made any inroads. There is really nothing to explain, as this is not a scientific treatise. If a piece re-creates an emotional state relating to a particular event or a concept, and that state is alien to you - then you will never get it, however much effort one might put into conveying it. What's more, it can create a dissonance and grate.