If he never went back it would still be too soon.

[kjc0123]

What is the meaning of "If he never went back it would still be too soon." in the following sentences?

Nothing soured Ray's mood like thoughts of going home. He hadn't been there in over a year, and if he never went back it would still be too soon.

[acw]

It means he really doesn't want to go.  Really REALLY doesn't want to go home.  "Never" being a point in time infinitely far away, and if that is too soon, it shows the feeling is even stronger than that!!

[Peter Pedant]

hi kjc I kinda missed you. Whenever you post a polite question, someone semantically smacks you in the mush so to speak. -No I do not mean the one above, acw.

RAy doesnt like going home. If he went back in a year, it would be too soon, that is the gap should be longer. If he went back in five years, that would be too soon. The gap should be longer than five years. But it is worse than that. If he never went back, that would be too soon. So he doesnt like going back really at all ever.

The sentence is internally inconsistent which is why it is so hard for you to understand. It is a figure of speech which is Ok for a pulp novelist like Rankin but not correct in something like a technical journal (because it is unclear)