Posts filed under “Books”
Advice for the hipsters
From Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog: Colombe Josse is . . . a sort of tall blond leek who dresses like a penniless Bohemian. If there is one thing I despise, it is the perverse affectation of rich people who go around dressing as if they were poor, in second-hand clothes, ill fitting gray […]
Narcissistic gratification or therapy?
From Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog: Mamam announced at the dinner table last night, as if it were a pretext to let the champagne flow freely, that it was exactly 10 years ago that she started her “anaaalysis.” Everyone will agree that this is absolutely maaarvelous. As far as I can see, only psychoanalysis […]
On correct punctuation
From Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog: I open the envelope and read this little note written on a business card whose surface is so glossy that the ink, to the dismay of the defeated blotter, has bled slightly underneath each letter. Madame Michel, Would you be so kind as, to sign for the packages […]
Under patriarchy, women are not individuals
From Anaïs Nin’s A Spy in the House of Love: He turned his eyes fully upon her, now a glacial blue; they were impersonal and seemed to gaze beyond her at all women who had dissolved into one, but who might, at any moment again become dissolved into all. This was the gaze Sabina had always […]
What I’ve Noticed: Politicians don’t get economics edition
AZ governor and strong supporter of the bad-for-business anti-immigrant law, Jan Brewer, lies about immigrants and her own past. Anyone who grows such lovely hydrangeas couldn’t possibly be a spy! Knowing a little history goes a long way towards refuting people who try to rewrite it. It could also prevent our politicians from making the […]
Escaping the dog
From Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog: We are good primates, so we spend most of our time maintaining and defending our territory, so that it will protect and gratify us; climbing – or trying not to slide down – the tribe’s hierarchical ladder, and fornicating in every manner imaginable – even mere phantasams. Thus […]
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
The Elegance of the Hedgehog is one of the loveliest books I’ve ever read. I haven’t enjoyed reading a book so much in a very long time, and I was sad to finish it – I wanted it to go on and on. I usually don’t enjoy rereading books, but I think I’ll keep this […]