The Sea, The Sea

The Sea, The Sea

‘Every persisting marriage is based on fear,’ said Peregrine. Fear is fundamental, you dig down in human nature and what’s at the bottom? Mean spiteful cruel self-regarding fear, whether it makes you put the boot in or whether it makes you cower. As for marriage,...
The Goldfinch

The Goldfinch

But depression wasn’t the word. This was a plunge encompassing sorrow and revulsion far beyond the personal: a sick, drenching nausea at all humanity and human endeavor from the dawn of time. The writhing loathsomeness of the biological order. Old age, sickness,...
Pale Fire

Pale Fire

Teach. Examine literary masterpieces with brilliant and charming young people. A hobby he could now freely indulge. ‘And, of course, I don’t know,’ she mumbled looking away, ‘I don’t know but perhaps if you’d have nothing against it, I might...
The Second Bakery Attack

The Second Bakery Attack

I’m still not sure I made the right choice when I told my wife about the bakery attack. But then, it might not have been a question of right and wrong. Which is to say that wrong choices can produce right results, and vice versa. I myself have adopted the...