“The brain is locked in total darkness, of course, children, says the voice. “Is it right,” Jutta says, “to do something only because everyone else is doing it?” “Stones are just stones and rain is just rain and misfortune is just bad luck.” “It strikes Werner just then as wondrously futile to build splendid buildings, to make music, to sing songs, to print huge books full of colorful birds in the face of the seismic, engulfing indifference of the world – what pretensions humans have!” When my father left, people said I was brave. “When I lost my sight, Werner, people said I was brave. “I am only alive because I have not yet died.” “Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.” “Time is a slippery thing: lose hold of it once, and its string might sail out of your hands forever.” Taking things from it, stuffing things into it.” “Isn’t life a kind of corruption? A child is born, and the world sets in upon it. “It’s embarrassingly plain how inadequate language is.” “How do you ever know for certain that you are doing the right thing?” I worry if I say anymore I will somehow sully the beauty of the book. I’ve read a lot of good novels in recent years and this is the best that I’ve read. All the Light We Cannot See is that good. That’s not to say I haven’t read many good novels over the last few years. This is the best novel I’ve read in a long time.
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