At the edge of a clifftop, a small boy gazes out at the horizon. His voice tells us what he sees: the view of a beach is followed by that of an old ruined house. Beyond the island, we see gannets hunting. Beyond that, an oyster farm, and two swimmers. As the pages turn, the word “beyond” gives rhythm to this exploration, like a kind of mantra that causes time to stand still, with such candor as to anchor readers to the present moment. A question eventually emerges: what lies beyond the horizon? With striking simplicity Hubert Poirot-Bourdain offers a wonderful reflection on the notion of space – the way we approach, measure and experience it, but also the field of creativity that it opens up.
