Writer Orhan Pamuk | A Good Novel Should Make Us Feel the Passing of Time | Louisiana Channel

Summary

The speaker reflects on the significance of time in literature, philosophy, and life. They discuss how writers like William Faulkner, Thomas Mann, and Joseph Conrad explored time in unique ways, affecting both narrative structure and reader experience. The theme of time also plays a key role in personal reflections on life and death, especially as one ages. The speaker mentions their interest in writing a novel set in medieval Ottoman times during a plague, using time to explore human mortality. Time, along with space, is seen as a central concept in art and philosophy, particularly in the works of Kant.

Takeaways

• ⏳ Time is a central theme of interest, explored both philosophically and in literature.
• 📚 William Faulkner, in *The Sound and the Fury*, focused on the concept of time, with characters grappling with its meaning.
• 🔄 Thomas Mann's *The Magic Mountain* explores the perception of time through its setting, making the reader forget about time's passing.
• ⏱️ Vladimir Nabokov praised Tolstoy's *War and Peace* for its synchronization of narrative time with the reader's experience.
• ⏪ Joseph Conrad introduced non-linear storytelling, beginning a story in the middle, then jumping backward and forward in time.
• 🕰️ Chapters in novels serve to convey shifts in time, allowing the story to unfold across various moments and perspectives.
• 🧠 Death and the passage of time become more prominent themes with age, leading to reflections on life's meaning.
• 🏺 Timeless objects, such as stones or sculptures, provoke feelings of jealousy in characters, as they remain unchanged while humans age and die.
• 🎨 Art and literature differ in their handling of time and space: literature deals with change over time, while visual arts represent change in space.
• 🌀 Human beings' awareness of time and their finite existence makes them unique, and this theme is explored both philosophically and artistically.

Q & A

What role does time play in literature according to the speaker?

Time is a crucial theme in literature for the speaker, both philosophically and technically. It affects the reader's perception of a story and is a fundamental element in shaping a novel's structure. The speaker believes that a good novel should evoke the passing of time.

How does the speaker relate William Faulkner's 'Sound and Fury' to the theme of time?

The speaker references William Faulkner's 'Sound and Fury' as a novel where time is central, noting that one character is preoccupied with time, leading to a symbolic gesture of breaking a clock or wristwatch.

Which novel does the speaker mention as one of the best representations of the passing of time, and why?

The speaker cites Thomas Mann's 'Magic Mountain' as one of the best representations of the passing of time, particularly because the novel's geographical setting makes the reader forget about the flow of time.

What is the speaker's view on how chapters influence the sense of time in a novel?

The speaker believes that chapters in a novel help convey different senses of time. Chapters not only organize the narrative from the perspective of who is telling the story, but also anchor the story in time, often starting with phrases like 'after such time' or specifying months.

How does the speaker distinguish between the pace of time in life and the reader's experience of time?

The speaker acknowledges that the pace of time in life and the reader's experience of time while reading can sometimes overlap, but they may also contradict each other. This interplay is important for creating depth in storytelling.

What does the speaker say about Vladimir Nabokov's praise for Tolstoy's 'War and Peace'?

The speaker mentions that Vladimir Nabokov praised Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' because Tolstoy's depiction of time in the novel closely matches the reader's experience of time as they read.

How did Joseph Conrad influence the way stories are told, according to the speaker?

The speaker credits Joseph Conrad with revolutionizing storytelling by introducing non-linear narrative techniques, where a story might start in the middle, then jump backward and forward in time.

What does the speaker believe makes a good writer or artist, particularly in relation to death and time?

The speaker suggests that those who ask deep, existential questions about death and the meaning of life at a young age, in their 20s, are likely to become good writers or artists. Such questions typically become more common as people age.

Why does the speaker fantasize about writing a plague novel set in medieval Ottoman times?

The speaker fantasizes about writing a plague novel because a pandemic forces people to confront death and think about the meaning of life. Such a setting, where one in three people might die, heightens the existential stakes for the characters.

How does the speaker contrast the timelessness of objects with human existence?

The speaker reflects on how human beings are constrained by time, while objects, like a stone or a piece of marble, remain timeless. The speaker's characters, and possibly the speaker themselves, are often jealous of these objects, which exist without any sense of time.