“The first sentence of every novel should be: Trust me, this will take time but there is order here, very faint, very human.”
— Michael Ondaatje · 1943 –Source: In the Skin of a Lion, 1987 · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The sentence appears in Michael Ondaatje’s novel In the Skin of a Lion and is printed in a passage that continues, “Meander if you want to get to town.”
Understanding the quote
From In the Skin of a Lion, the line asks readers to trust a story that works slowly and subtly. It’s metafictional: the novel promises not a neat plot but a faint, humane order that emerges from overlapping lives and fragments of history.
The story behind it
Michael Ondaatje was born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and later made his literary career in Canada; movement between places shapes his focus on displacement.
Going further
- The era
- Set in early twentieth‑century Toronto, the novel explores immigrant labor, infrastructure and social change.
- The thinking
- In practice: don’t expect one authoritative story. The book builds meaning from small human details and gaps rather than tidy explanations.
- Key word
- Narrative trust: allow uncertainty so patterns can appear slowly.
- Who quoted it
- Frequently cited in collections and discussions of Ondaatje’s work, the line is popular among readers who value leisurely, ambiguous narratives.
Three challenges to live it
In the app, you pick the one that fits your day, and in the evening you say how it went.
Write one page in 20 minutes beginning with “Trust me” and allow fragments to appear without explaining everything right away.
Ondaatje's line asks for patience; this timed fragment exercise trains you to accept slow revelation and notice faint, human order emerging.
Take a 10‑minute pause: sit quietly, breathe, and jot three images or sensations that surface without trying to organize them.
The quote honors slowness and faint order; this mindful pause trains patience and the ability to notice small elements that later align.
Make a quick collage (paper or digital) in 15 minutes using visual fragments that together suggest a faint, humane order.
Ondaatje's line suggests order emerging from fragments; a collage lets you physically experiment with that emergence without forcing a linear story.
How willing are you to let understanding arrive slowly over time?
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