The first paragraph in the Introduction is about a family memory which prompted the book in the first place.

On page 11 I discuss fairytales looking at the problem of maturation and development without the promise of reproduction.I am proudest, as far as literary analysis goes, of the Proust chapter.

What I most hope for as an outcome for the book is that readers will come away first with a deeper understanding and appreciation of Dickens, Conan Doyle, Joyce and Proust, but also questioning forms of narrative we take for granted as standard, and think about other ways we can make sense of time and of lives, other ways in which we can narrate the world.