Kunamazwe afana nePortugal noma i-Ireland, abonakala ephethe ilebula lokuncika kunoma yiluphi uhlobo lobuciko. Kusukela emculweni kuya ezincwadini, yonke into imanziswa kulelo phunga lokuwohloka nokulangazelela.
Ku incwadi Buyela eBirchwood, UJohn banville umatasa wethula i-Ireland ehlaselwe yizwe lakubo elijwayelekile lalesi siqhingi esikhulu. UGabriel Godkin ungumlingisi wayo oyinhloko, uhlobo oluthile lokuguqula umbhali obuyela kuleyo Birchwood iventado emele indawo yonke yezinkolelo-ze zase-Ireland.
UGabriel uthola ukuthi indlu yakudala akhulele kuyona ayibambeki, ivikela abalingiswa abahlala kuyo ababonakala bethelwe ngamanzi ngokuwohloka okufanayo kokuhamba kwesikhathi okungenasihe. Ngandlela thile, ungabona lolo hlobo lwesifaniso phakathi kweqiniso elitholakele nenkumbulo yesikhathi esidlule esijabulisayo lapho ubuyela ezikhaleni zezinye izikhathi. Ukushaqeka okungokomzwelo kungafaniswa naleso simo sokuphazamiseka kwempahla esidonswa umbhali.
Kodwa-ke, ukuthintwa okubuhlungu kwendaba nakho kuhamba nephuzu lamahlaya, i-asidi ngaphandle kokungabaza, kepha amahlaya ekupheleni kosuku, umuntu awasebenzisayo ukunqoba usizi lokulahlekelwa kanye nesifiso.
Ngokunikwa isimo esibuhlungu saleso sikhala sobuntwana bakhe, uGabriel ugcina eseqala esekisini, enethemba lokuthola udadewabo oyiwele, amlahle ngokungachazeki. Yilapho-ke lapho umbhali ethatha ithuba ukuveza i-Ireland ejulile, ejeziswa ngosizi engxenyeni yayo yasemakhaya. Futhi kulapho-ke lapho sithola khona ubukhulu bezinhlamvu ezihlala kulezo zindawo ezijezisiwe. Izibalo ezesabekayo ezinokuziphatha okungajwayelekile, okunikezwe amandla okuchaza omlingo kaJohn Banville, kushiya uphawu lwazo, phakathi kokuqina okunamandla kakhulu nokubaluleka okungenakuphikwa okubashukumisela ukuba baphile ebusweni bomhlaba ophika konke.
Kule noveli, i-Ireland iyisibalo sezinkumbulo zenjabulo eshelela njengemisinga phakathi kwazo zonke izimo ezihlongozwayo, kushiye kubo i-patina ehlanganisa ubuso nezindlu, izinto nemiphefumulo ese-sepia.
Ungathenga incwadi Buyela eBirchwood, inoveli entsha yombhali omkhulu uJohn Banville, lapha: