My theme is memory, that winged host that soared about me one grey morning of wartime. These memories, which are my life—for we possess nothing certainly except the past—were always with me. Like the pigeons of St. Mark’s, they were everywhere, under my feet, singly, in pairs, in little honey-voiced congregations, nodding, strutting, winking, rolling […]

He left the station yard at a run and began to run along the road towards the school. It was a long way. The hot sun struck him on the brow with repeated blows, and the warm air refused to refresh his lungs. He ran on, panting and gasping. He must get to his bicycle, […]

The pizza arrived startlingly fast, seared with black from the wood fired oven. It smelled so good, Noah somewhat regretted ordering the fish.Michael glowered. ”I knew there’d be goddamn margherita.””Those are just basil leaves, for a garnish.” Noah lifted one off with his fork.”I don’t eat fucking garnish.” Michael gouged them out and flicked them […]

Caroline was quickly asleep. And even as she slept, she felt herself appreciating her sleep; told herself, this was the best sleep she had had for six months. She told herself to sleep on, for she would wake up presently, and then she would mean business. At this point in the narrative, it might be […]

Despite the awful weather, the decks were packed. As the ship slid free, the band on the jetty struck up with a round of ’Rule Britannia’, and passengers hurled down hundreds of thousands of streamers that filled the dock in a giant web, while Enid whooped and blew kisses, though presumably not to anyone she […]

Mrs. Lee-Mittison brought their Continental Daily Mail down to the lounge with her and sat on it. She did not wish to read it herself, but did not dare to put it down beside her because she knew that someone would come up and ask just to glance at it – people so soon lose […]

From the road, the bindery looked as if it was burning. The sun was setting behind us, and the red-gold blaze of the last sunlight was reflected in the windows. Under the dark thatch every pane was like a rectangle of flame, too steady to be fire but so bright I thought I could feel […]

It was a relief to return to normal life again and to get through New Year’s Eve, with its feeling of sadness. The days began to lengthen and the first signs of spring appeared. In the meantime social life had started up again, by which Leonora meant her ’new’ social life with Humphrey and James. […]

The Great House had been built by robber barons in the nineteenth century, a palatial retreat for the green months. Our parents, those so-called figures of authority, roamed its rooms in vague circuits beneath the broad beams, their objective murky. And of no general interest.They liked to drink: it was their hobby, or—said one of […]

In the world I notice persons are nearly always stressed and have no time. Even Grandma often says that, but she and Steppa don’t have jobs, so I don’t know how persons with jobs do the jobs and all the living as well. In Room me and Ma had time for everything. I guess the […]

Lopulta yö ympäröi minut;ajelehdin sen mukana, ehkä sen sisällä,tai se kantoi minua niin kuin joki kantaavenettä, ja samanaikaisestise kieppui yläpuolellani,tähtien peittämänä mutta silti pimeänä. Tällaisia hetkiä varten elin.Tunsin, että minut oli salaperäisesti kohotettu maailman yläpuolelleniin että toiminta oli lopultakin mahdotonta,mikä teki ajattelemisesta ei vain mahdollista, vaan myös rajatonta. Sillä ei ollut loppua. Tunsin, ettei minun […]