February 2nd, 2010
Foolscap is awkward to read in bed
“‘Will she expect a comfortable bed?’ Rodney asked. ‘Oughtn’t we to break her into the world gradually?’
‘I don’t see what difference it makes,’ I said.
‘Wilmet, have you thought what books to put by her bed?’ asked Sybil. ‘You must make a careful choice.’
‘I suppose some anthologies of poetry and good novels by female authors,’ I said. ‘Not devotional books, obviously.’
‘We have just completed an interesting report on the Linoleum Industry,’ said Rodney. ‘I could let her have a cyclostyled copy– the pages are bound together.’
‘Foolscap is awkward to read in bed,’ said Sybil. ‘Arnold has just published a paper in one of the archeological journals– that’s a handy size for night reading and there are some excellent drawings of pottery fragments done by an invalid lady who lives in Dawlish.’”– from A Glass of Blessings by Barbara Pym(!)
I like the little bookish bits in Barbara Pym's novels. Another writer who often pleases me in this way is Elizabeth Taylor (yes, the "other" one). So many of her characters are bookish in one way or another.
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:28 PMI've only read *Angel*, which I've sinced read is atypical. I must try another! Though I've got lots of Barbara Pym before me in the meantime. I love her.
February 3rd, 2010 at 4:14 AMLeave a Reply