George Orwell - Coming Up for Air
I like Orwell. He's bleak, bleak as all out, but live in Britain any length of time and you'll know where he's coming from.
In this he takes the character of George Bowling, an overweight self-satisfied insurance agent who recalls the Britain of his youth and comes up with some occasionally sage observations on the turnings of modern society. There are forshadowings of themes that he expounds upon in "1984". Not essential Orwell, but good. Also worth noting are the feelings of displacement, the world of Bowling's childhood being swiftly destroyed by "progress" and the War. Themes still current, more current even, today...
But I've had enough, they're good reads but a trifle depressing. I've had it in my head (where did it come from, I wonder?) to read "Madame Bovary" by Flaubert, thought I had it on my shelves, searched for it and couldn't find it, but then by happy circumstance I stumbled upon an Everyman edition (red Moroccan Leather, although I'm suspicious of the translation...) at a thrift shop down the street.
Which will be the next review....
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- Category: Books
Living with a Sociopath
There was the sparrow that Princess brought in. And now there's this.
In the backyard, beneath the crabapple tree, a dismembered robin. Now it could be a few things. Pumpkin for example, although it would be an incompetent robin that flew into his mouth and worked his jaws for him, as that's the only way he could hope to ever catch a bird.
It could have been something it ate, although I wasn't keen to do an autopsy, wasps burrowing into the open wounds upon it's chest. Or old age. There's a rabbit I've seen lurking in the garden, possibly it was that...
Or there's Princess.
I can't prove it was her, but after the sparrow there's a hint of suspicion cast upon her, that maybe, just maybe, I'm living with a sociopath.
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- Category: Miscellany
Cats Outside, The Love of a Dog
The Cats are outside and for the moment there's some peace and quiet. Well, not entirely quiet, the rock tumblers are swishing like a washing machine on full, but it's as quiet as it's been.
Pumpkin has chased a squirrel up a tree and is patiently waiting for it to come down, wondering stupidly why the squirrel doesn't want to play, the squirrel chiding him from a branch just above his head.
He's a nightmare. At night, surreptitiously slipping into my bedroom, checking to make sure the other cat is nowhere near, then leaping upon my bed. He's gotten it so he can usually get up in 1 jump now. And he starts the headbutting for attention, so you reach out to pet him and he begins to sprawl this way and that, offering better opportunities to pet him, he's so obviously, unashamedly happy, ecstatic even, licking your hand, your face, worse than a dog until you turn away in disgust and he crawls over you and wants to start again, "Isn't this the best?" he's thinking, "Just you and me and you can pet me as much as you want....". 2 weeks until they're back and they can rescue me from their pet. It's a question of dispositions, mine prefers the restrained affections of my cat, the civilized petting and a scratch under the chin, not the slavering, undying love of a half-witted eunuch. In the morning I catch him half in the litter box, only his back half, he won't all fit, more jumbo turds, the other cat, my cat, didn't in a week fill the litter box as full as he can in a single morning.
He's come back inside. Chasing the squirrel has tired him out, probably it's time for some cat food (because there's no way he'll ever catch a meal for himself...), maybe I want to pet him and he'll just check on that before having another giant turd.....
2 weeks.
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- Category: Miscellany
RIP Education Funding Thrift Store
The Education Funding Thrift store closed it's doors on Monday, June 29. No reasons given, no forwarding address. They were the store on 37 ST SW, North of 17 ave, beside the 7/11, (formerly in Bowness), their storefront was forever cluttered with donations, bicycles, used and decrepit furniture for which they wanted an arm and a leg for. Negligible rent, free stock and minimum wages weren't enough to keep this enterprise going. Their hours were erratic, prices high, on their closing day (open until midnight with "Fill a bag for $10.00 specials") they were still clinging to the belief that their rubbish was sold too cheap, they weren't selling any of the collectables as these were to go off for "appraisal".
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