A Multitude of Selves in ‘The Overstory’
As promised, this book offers abundant wisdom about the natural world and the amazing power and complexity of ecosystems.
But Powers has insights beyond those about the world of the forest.
His characters’ rich inner lives are conveyed with startling depth and intricacy.
This passage about the evolution of the self over time resonates perfectly with my inner vision, as it also circles back to the book’s theme.
“…a teenage Mimi lifted from her own nine-year-old shoulders to gaze… from high up and years away. Out of the gazing teen rose another, even older woman. Time was not a line unrolling in front of her. It was a column of concentric circles with herself at the core and the present floating outward along the outermost rim. Future selves stacked up above and behind her, all returning… for another look…”
