The Novel as Dialogue
A novel is not a monologue. It's a dialogue between writer and reader, where the reader must fill in the gaps
Michael Ondaatje
Canadian novelist, author of The English Patient and The Cat's Table
All moments: Michael Ondaatje
- Cats and Writers — Michael Ondaatje
A cat is a creature that never fully reveals itself. As a writer, I'm fascinated by what cannot be completely explained
- Letters as Language — Michael Ondaatje
Letters are the language of secret things, they allow people to be honest in a way they cannot face to face
- Layers of Self in Literature — Michael Ondaatje
I believe a character has many layers, and a writer must inhabit all of these layers at once
- History as Fiction — Michael Ondaatje
History is fiction we've agreed to accept as truth. Literature is more honest because it admits its fiction
- Fragmented Memory — Michael Ondaatje
Memory is not a linear story. It's fragments that connect and disconnect like in a dream
- War and Intimacy — Michael Ondaatje
War exposes a person, makes them vulnerable. It's in this vulnerability that I search for truth
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