The Sea Summary
John Banville

The Sea Summary

This poetically written novel takes the form of a series of journal entries written by a lonely middle-aged man as he spends what he sees as his final days in a guesthouse near the scene of a tragedy in his childhood. Themes relating to the nature of identity and death are explored as the narrator's past and present intertwine in an experience of life both haunting and inescapable.

The novel begins with an evocation of the sea and of the narrator's sense of impending death. He then unfolds a series of ever-deepening memories, past and present intertwining in his life and in his writing as he explores and relives his experiences with two powerful female influences: his childhood friend Chloe, and his beloved wife Anna.

As the narrative progresses, the narrator's recollections of his intense summer with Chloe parallel recollections of his equally intense last few months with Anna, who... View more of the The Sea Summary