There are further considerations I might raise. How do you make a book that anyone will read out of lives as quiet as these? What are the things that novelists seize upon and readers expect? Where is the high life, the kinky sex, the death wish? Where are the suburban infidelities, the promiscuities, the convulsive divorces, the alcohol, the drugs, the lost weekends? Where are the hatreds, the political ambitions, the lust for power? Where are speed, noise, ugliness, everything that makes us who we are and makes us recognizable in fiction?
The quote raises important questions about what makes a compelling narrative in literature. It highlights the challenge of crafting a story about ordinary lives, emphasizing the elements that typically captivate readers—such as drama, desire, and conflict. The author wonders how to transform the quiet, unremarkable experiences of life into an engaging book that resonates with an audience.
By listing the themes often found in fiction, such as infidelity, addiction, and political ambition, the quote underscores the complexity of human experience. It suggests that while these elements might define a more sensational story, the true art may lie in revealing the depths and intricacies of mundane lives, prompting readers to rethink their expectations of storytelling.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
