Today’s Question by Aart Hilal
With the exception of a few last sentences in the epilogue your novel 11 minutes is a record of disappointment and despair that no human being escapes. Yet it seems that you only dwell on them in order to show – in passing and almost inadvertently – that disappointment is but a stage of personal development, at the end of which comes a new passion for life. Is this what you are trying to say?
The Greek poet Kavafis, referring to Ulysses, says: “keep Ithaca in mind, but I hope that your journey will last many years, and you will learn everything you need to learn.” Although he was forced to face difficult circumstances, he knew that Penelope was waiting for him at the end of his ordeals. This happens to all of us – we must have confidence that, in the end, we will find what we have been struggling for.
