Current Favourite Sentence

Still, very steadfastly and quietly walking towards it, a peaceful figure too in the landscape, went Mademoiselle Hortense, shoeless, through the wet grass.

Hudhud aus einladender Bote

Dich beglückte ja mein Gesang,
Nun drang er gern zu dir ins Ferne,
Ich singe Morgen und Abend entlang,
Sie sagen: »Besser!« Das hör ich gerne;
Kommt auch ein Blatt von Zeit zu Zeit,
Bringt einen Gruß, laß dich nicht stören!
Aber ist denn Bagdad so weit?
Willst du mich gar nicht wieder hören?

 Goethe, Der West-östliche Divan (1819)

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012)

The more I read of him the more I like him: Outside Over There is already a stone-cold baby classic.

Laughing so as not to cry

Current Favourite Sentences

But now Mr. Spenlow came out of the house, and Dora went to him, saying, 'Look, papa, what beautiful flowers!' And Miss Mills smiled thoughtfully, as who should say, 'Ye May-flies, enjoy your brief existence in the bright morning of life!' And we all walked from the lawn towards the carriage, which was getting ready.

Papas (1927-2000)

The major bonus of Pressburger's novel was that it was illustrated by the great Papas, which is enough to make even the most predictable prose enjoyable. Below: fascists and priests.

Behold a Pale Horse

I was in Avilés over the weekend, at the very welcoming if poorly remunerated SELIN. In one of my rare half-hours off, guided by my infallible nose, I found the one second-hand bookshop in the town. This was the result: the film tie-in edition of one of Emeric Pressburger's two novels, originally called Killing a Mouse on Sunday (1961). I hope it is not too much of an insult to say that after I read it, my greatest desire was to see The Red Shoes again. Cobbler, stick to your last!