"We live in a dominant culture of ceaseless Departure and Progress that has so far lasted two or three centuries."

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I assumed just from being around, all these years, that people would immediately glom on to, Well, it's a departure, and it's a dystopian kind of thing, and that's natural, of course. But it's surprised me - not even surprised me, but it's pleased me - how much people have been responding to the way the book was written.

— Chang-Rae Lee