The Noise of Time

by Julian Barnes

They called his Fifth “an optimistic tragedy.”

But even Turgenev, for all his faults, had a true Russian pessimism.

an orchestra could only play well if whipped and derided and humiliated.

first because it was Russia, where delusions were normal;

is best to start life in a cheerful and open state of mind, believing in others, being optimistic, being frank with everyone about everything. And then, as one comes to understand things and people better, to develop a sense of irony. The natural progression of human life is from optimism to pessimism; and a sense of irony helps temper pessimism, helps produce balance, harmony.

Sarcasm was dangerous to its user, identifiable as the language of the wrecker and the saboteur. But irony—perhaps, sometimes, so he hoped—might enable you to preserve what you valued, even as the noise of time became loud enough to knock out windowpanes.

Akhmatova said that under Khrushchev, Power had become vegetarian. Maybe so; though you could just as easily kill someone by stuffing vegetables down their throat as by the traditional methods of the old meat-eating days.

He had also had a “historic meeting” with Akhmatova. He had invited her to visit him at Repino. She came. He sat in silence; so did she; after twenty such minutes, she rose and left. She said afterwards, “It was wonderful.”

If the wider world becomes uncontrollable, you must make sure to control what areas you can.