“Life, authentic life, is supposed to be all struggle, unflagging action and affirmation, but when I look back I see that the greater part of my energies was always given over to the simple search for shelter, for comfort, for, yes, I admit it, for cosiness. This is a surprising, not to say a shocking, realization. Before, I saw myself as something of a buccaneer, facing all-comers with a cutlass in my teeth, but now I am compelled to acknowledge that this was a delusion. To be concealed, protected, guarded, that is all I have truly wanted, to burrow down into a place of womby warmth and cower there, hidden from the sky’s indifferent gaze and the harsh air’s damagings. That is why the past is just such a retreat for me, I go there eagerly, rubbing my hands and shaking off the cold present and the colder future. And yet, what existence, really, does it have, the past? After all, it is only what the present was, once, the present that is gone, no more than that. And yet.”
Quote by John Banville
Work
A book bearing this title would generally engage with the depths, moods, and mysteries of maritime environments. Such works often use the sea as a powerful metaphorical landscape, representing change, isolation, the unknown, or the passage of time. Readers might expect exploration of coastal communities, maritime journeys, or the psychological dimensions of human engagement with vast waters. The title suggests an atmospheric and contemplative approach to subject matter connected to oceanic settings. more
Author
John Banville, born on December 8, 1945, is an Irish novelist known for his unique narrative style and profound philosophical insights. His works have won numerous literary awards. more
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