And in that history you're trying to connect to something that once was yours - to something purer, better, something that you lost or something, maybe, that you never knew but that you feel you knew.
In the book "Engleby" by Sebastian Faulks, the protagonist grapples with a sense of nostalgia and the longing for a connection to his past. This longing often reflects a desire to reach back to a time or a feeling that he believes was more genuine or fulfilling. As he navigates through his life, he searches for something that evokes a sense of purity and betterment, which he perceives as having been lost.
The quote underscores the universal yearning for a connection to a past that may not have been fully understood or experienced. It highlights the complexity of human emotions, revealing how we often idealize memories or concepts from history, hoping to recapture a sense of belonging or understanding that eludes us in the present. This theme resonates deeply in our exploration of identity and memory throughout the narrative.