Day Two Hundred and Sixty Three
Little Red Riding Hood by Charles Perrault Page: 134
The Human Factor by Graham Greene Page: 335
I’m writing this at seven on a Saturday morning. I vaguely recall the delights of sleeping in. the drowsy comfortable feeling as you snuggle down in your sheets, the peaceful tug-of-war between your mild hunger and the pleasure of snoozing for another half-hour, the indolent slowness of finally rising and determining how you are going to spend your day. These pleasures were even deeper after marriage. Having someone to share the slow peaceful morning with is simply great, especially if that person is your favorite in the whole wide world. Now Saturday morning is just like every other morning, hoping the boys sleep until 7, rising bleary-eyed to face making their breakfasts and starting the endless round of cleaning toddlers make necessary, oh, and enjoying every minute of their wide-eyed wonder at the world. Different, of course, but also wonderful and an experience I wouldn’t trade for all the lazy days in the world.
I think I’ll have to recommend Perrault over the other fairy-talers. His stories are articulate, clear and not repetitive.
Graham Greene is now on my list of “must-explore” authors. He clearly understands the human condition and writes in an inquisitive way about moral failing and about affection and love. Their is a sadness to The Human Factor but it is a grave sadness not an existential despair. I think I’ll read more.