"I don't see novels ending with any real sense of closure"

In the quote "I don't see novels ending with any real sense of closure", Michael Ondaatje recommends that literary works inherently lack conclusive conclusions. This point of view challenges conventional storytelling arcs, where a narrative nicely binds all plot threads by the end. Ondaatje's view resonates with the intricacy of human experience and the nature of life itself, where very few events reach a tidy resolution.

This perspective acknowledges that novels, just like life, are typically riddled with ambiguity, complexities, and unesolved conflicts. A narrative that avoids a "real sense of closure" can feel more real or relatable, as it mirrors the unpredictabilities and open-ended questions that identify real-world experiences. Instead of offering definitive answers or perfectly fixed storylines, such books welcome readers to engage more deeply with the text, considering the characters' futures beyond the pages and allowing the story to continue developing in their minds.

Ondaatje's comment also recommends that stories continue to exist in some form, implicitly or explicitly, beyond what is written. The characters may still have unknown adventures, unsettled pasts, and uncharted futures. By preventing total closure, a novel acknowledges that while a particular story may conclude, life for its characters goes on beyond the final page, abundant with possibilities.

Moreover, by leaving some questions unanswered, books can provoke thought and invite individual interpretation. This open-endedness engages readers more actively, allowing them to predict their beliefs, experiences, and conclusions onto the story, improving the story's significance and staying power.

Ultimately, Ondaatje's declaration reflects a philosophical view of storytelling. It champs a narrative kind that respects the continuous flux of life-- a tapestry with loose threads, where the story sticks around and resonates exactly since it resists closure. Thus, novels with unsolved endings echo long after they are read, their impact withstanding in the minds and hearts of their readers.