Yesterday I went into the
City Lights Bookstore (a quick visit turned into over an hour, but then I'm a Minchin, we all exited the womb with our head in a book!). I expected to leave with a book by one of the 'Beats', afterall, what else would you buy there? But once in amongst the bookshelves I found myself desperately homesick for European literature. I am surrounded by American accents and wanted to read something that allowed me to have a European accent rattling around my head. I spent forever browsing, considering work by Mulisch, Marai (you have to read his book
Embers - amazing), Bergelson, Dickens, Bronte, I left with Lewis Carroll's
Alice in Wonderland and
Through the Looking Glass, after having to decide between that and an abridged version of
The Diary of Samuel Pepys. Today I caught an episode of
Keeping Up Appearances and
Are You Being Served (see, I'm not a culture snob really, I just pretend to be) it had a similar effect. People have been asking me what I miss about home, it's turning out to be the arts, in its various forms.
2 Comments:
Kate I remember being in Holland once and I heard this super thick Southern American accent after being out of that States for a few months. They were complaining about the lame air-conditioner in their hotel room of all things to bitch about in beautiful Holland! And I wanted to run over to them and say Hi I'm an American too and I'm from the South! But they would have probably though I was a completely desperate wacko.
Your blog is so wonderful.
In Houston I started to chatting to a woman in a bookstore simply because she had an English accent (I have my wacko moments!). I've completely swept that age old piece of advice, 'never talk to strangers' under the carpet on this trip !
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