John Banville

Abstract

An interview with author John Banville is presented. Asked about the plot of his 2012 novel "Ancient Light," involving an affair between a teenage boy and his friend's mother, he discusses the difficulty of writing well about sex in fiction. He notes that anagrams and inside jokes, among other forms of humor, are scattered throughout his writing. Also discussed are comparisons to author James Joyce and portrayals of the interior life of characters.