Still the dream persists, suppressed but always there, that somehow by some miraculous effort of the heart what was done could be undone. What form would such atonement take that would turn back time and bring the dead to life? None. None possible, not in the real world. And yet in my imaginings I can clearly see this cleansed new creature steaming up out of myself like a proselyte rising drenched from the baptismal river amid glad cries.

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About John Banville

John Banville was a contemporary Irish author. William John Banville is an Irish novelist, short story writer, adapter of dramas, and screenwriter. He also had a 30-year career working in the Irish newspaper industry and served as literary editor of The Irish Times from 1988 until 1999. Read more on Wikipedia →

Themes

  • Dreams — Aspirations, visions, and the world of the subconscious
  • Imagination — The creative power of the mind and visionary thinking
  • Time — Reflections on the passage of time and how we spend it

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