ntemplation and fulfillment. It is a serene world that the author creates, one of thought and discovery of the mysteries of life. It also has an exalted feel to it, almost Biblical, in its tightly crafted prose and sense of timelessness. Time in the novel is compressed and extended; years may pass with no further development than that it is passing and then a moment will be extended for pages. Time in the novel does not parallel reality and contributes to the mood of peacefulness. ...
