We no longer have a cultural narrative in which we trust. Reason and logic are simply tools of the ruling class. Your story is simply your story, not to be generalized upon, and mine is mine. There is no authority, no common humanity, no us. Welcome to the brave new world of postmodernism. The fictional characters in The Revenge of the Whale live in this world. They are thoroughly ordinary people-lost and lonely, they search for love and meaning and generally come up short. They long for connection, but miss one another in passing. They perceive rules and regulations as arbitrary. They cling to behavior that has not delivered joy or peace of mind. They have expectations that are always being turned upside down.So here they are, running and running and not looking where they're going. They really are doing the best they can. Aren't we?