"A Lonelier Spire Than Ever," in Alone, by Christophe Chaboute
I bought this very late last year. The story focuses on a man who has grown up in a lighthouse his entire life. His parents are long dead, and he was left there by them because he has a physical disfigurement. His dad arranged for a ship captain to deliver supplies every week, which he does. By leaving them out on the dock without ever speaking to the young man.
The story moves at a leisurely pace because it's focused so heavily on this one character. There are pages devoted to showing the lighthouse slowly growing closer. Emphasizing the isolation. Which is strange, because if it's that far out there, what the hell is there out there that ships need to be warned about by a lighthouse? A coral reef, perhaps?
There's little else to do but explore the various things that make up the man's life. He collects anything the currents bring to his shore. He has a small fish as a pet. He entertains himself by opening the dictionary to random words and trying to visualize them, based on his limited knowledge. Chaboute spends a lot of pages on that, usually starting close in and gradually pulling back as the man's imagination expands what he's seeing.
There's little else to do but explore the various things that make up the man's life. He collects anything the currents bring to his shore. He has a small fish as a pet. He entertains himself by opening the dictionary to random words and trying to visualize them, based on his limited knowledge. Chaboute spends a lot of pages on that, usually starting close in and gradually pulling back as the man's imagination expands what he's seeing.
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