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
Sometimes we just walk into something that is not for us at all. We pretend it is. We think we can shrug it off like a coat, but it's not a coat at all, it's more like another skin. [...] All I wanted was to make my life thrilling for a while: to take the oridinary objects of my days and make a different argument out of them, no obligations to my past.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the struggle of engaging with things that don't truly fit us, while desiring to transform the mundane into something extraordinary.
In this quote, Colum McCann explores the idea of entering situations or lifestyles that may seem appealing but ultimately do not resonate with our true selves. He compares these experiences to wearing a coat, suggesting that they might appear easily removable, yet they are deeply intertwined with our identity. McCann's desire to invigorate his routine by reinterpreting ordinary objects speaks to the human longing for change and self-discovery, emphasizing the complexities of fulfilling one's needs without the burden of past expectations.
Themes
LifeIdentityChangeExperienceSelf-Discovery
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about personal growth.
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.
Colum MccannRead
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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