I mean, every novel's a historical novel anyway. But calling something a historical novel seems to put mittens on it, right? It puts manners on it. And you don't want your novels to be mannered.
Colum MccannRead
No shame in saying that I felt a loneliness drifting through me. Funny how it was, everyone perched in their own little world with the deep need to talk, each person with their own tale, beginning in some strange middle point, then trying so hard to tell it all, to have it all make sense, logical and final.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses the feeling of loneliness even in the presence of others, highlighting the disconnect in human interactions.
Colum McCann's quote reflects on the paradox of loneliness amidst a crowded world. Each individual carries their own story and seeks connection, yet often feels isolated, wrestling with the difficulty of conveying their experiences in a way that feels coherent and satisfying. This examination of human relationships underscores how people may be together physically but remain emotionally separate, each encapsulated in their own 'little world.'
Themes
LonelinessConnectionRelationshipsIsolationHuman Experience
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the nature of modern friendships and social interactions.
More from Colum Mccann
All quotes →Goodness was more difficult than evil. Evil men knew that more than good men. That's why they became evil. That's why it stuck with them. Evil was for those who could never reach the truth. It was a mask for stupidity and lack of love. Even if people laughed at the notion of goodness, if they found it sentimental, or nostalgic, it didn't matter -- it was none of those things, he said, and it had to be fought for.
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She takes another long haul, lets the smoke settle in her lungs-- she has heard somewhere that cigarettes are good for grief. One long drag and you forget how to cry. The body too busy dealing with the poison.
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It was a silence that heard itself, awful and beautiful.
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It struck me that distant cities are designed precisely so you can know where you came from.
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And I suddenly think, as I look across the table at him, that these are the days as they will be. This is the future as we see it. The swerve and the static. The confidence and the doubt.
Colum MccannRead
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