'I felt swept away by Ondaatje’s prose, as if by water — often I would need to climb ashore or set the book down to spend time with these words.'

I felt swept away by Ondaatje’s prose, as if by water — and yet so often I would need to climb ashore or set the book down in order to spend time with an expression or a character’s reply because these words were too beautiful to be hurried through.