In this luminous new novel about love, loss, and the unpredictable power of memory, John Banville introduces us to max morden, a middle-aged irishman who has gone back to the seaside town where he spent his summer holida...In this luminous new novel about love, loss, and the unpredictable power of memory, John Banville introduces us to max morden, a middle-aged irishman who has gone back to the seaside town where he spent his summer holidays as a child to cope with the recent loss of his wife.