You read some. McGee. I admire the acuity of JDMs vision on people. Elmore Leonard's heroes are so admirable. Both may be aspirational in a "I wish I could be cool" way. But I've been taking my retirement when I can like McGee for a while (stopping now) so it has rubbed off. I see it as wise writing.
I haven't read any of Leonard's books
so can't compare his characters to you, but I know McGee! Yes, he "takes his retirement in installments." How best to compare you two? hmmm, how about words out of his own mouth?!
I tried to look disarming. I am pretty good at that. I have one of those useful faces.Get out there and sell. Gleam those teeth. Look them square in the eye. You get out of it what you put into it. A smile will take you a long way. Shake hands as if you mean it. Remember names. (Had to put a salesmanship quote in here!)
Education is something that should be apart from the necessities of earning a living, not a tool therefore. It needs contemplation, fallow periods, the measured and guided study of the history of mans reiteration of the most agonizing question of all: Why?The only thing in the world worth a damn is the strange, touching, pathetic, awesome nobility of the individual human spirit.I think there is some kind of divine order in the universe. Every leaf on every tree in the world is unique. As far as we can see, there are other galaxies, all slowly spinning, numerous as the leaves in the forest. In an infinite number of planets, there has to be an infinite number with life forms on them. Maybe this planet is one of the discarded mistakes. Maybe it's one of the victories. We'll never know.Just as I figured. I believe you two are the same person.
Well I give up quoting altogether because it would be the entire book. Consistently high level writing. The scenes with the guests arrived are sublime. Janes descriptions of her feelings. The drawing of herself compared to this paragon woman. Sublime writing.
Yes, copying down all that I wish too, could bog this thread way down! But, there is something I want to note about a film adaptation. Not only does Jane subject herself to creating and studying those comparison drawings, she first gives herself a talking too, that is so self-excoriating, it leaves me stunned in sympathy.
Arraigned at my own bar, Memory having given her evidence of the hopes, wishes, sentiments I had been cherishing since last night--of the general state of mind in which I had indulged for nearly a fortnight past; Reason having come forward and told, in her own quiet way a plain, unvarnished tale, showing how I had rejected the real, and rabidly devoured the ideal;--I pronounced judgment to this effect: That a greater fool than Jane Eyre had never breathed the breath of life; that a more fantastic idiot had never surfeited herself on sweet lies, and swallowed poison as if it were nectar.
"YOU," I said, "a favourite with Mr. Rochester? YOU gifted with the power of pleasing him? YOU of importance to him in any way? Go! your folly sickens me. And you have derived pleasure from occasional tokens of preference--equivocal tokens shown by a gentleman of family and a man of the world to a dependent and a novice. How dared you? Poor stupid dupe!--Could not even self-interest make you wiser? You repeated to yourself this morning the brief scene of last night?--Cover your face and be ashamed! He said something in praise of your eyes, did he? Blind puppy! Open their bleared lids and look on your own accursed senselessness! It does good to no woman to be flattered by her superior, who cannot possibly intend to marry her; and it is madness in all women to let a secret love kindle within them, which, if unreturned and unknown, must devour the life that feeds it...Harsh, necessary and perfect in written form, but what to do with it in a film? Charlotte Gainsbourg looks in a mirror, feels all of that above in a moment and says,
It too is perfect and is part of the reason this adaptation is in my top 100.
I feel like I can speed read knowing I'll read it again or know which sections to come back and pore over. There seem to be more nuances to the laughter plot line here. It all feeds the building of character which is already monumental.
Wasn't sure if this aspect would grow on you, or be increasingly frustrating.
I'm not speed reading, but it's difficult to put the story aside sometimes and come back to the real world.
And Jane is so strikingly confident that the direct connection between her thoughts and her expression may have made her easy to read. I somewhat feel the same but I've had advice about keeping the immediate reaction off my face and letting the more considered response develop in my head. Anyone looking at me is already reacting to the look on my face. I'm not comfortable with being told to be less than brutally honest. I'm not a complete Neanderthal. I can see the advantage of managing the message better. I had a long conversation with another salesman (I believe you stop doing that job you never stop being a salesman though. Not for a second) and the levels of continual outward challenge to the world that you get into as a mindset is both ferocious and unnerving. The look on the face is another weapon in the assault on the world.
It is wise advice! Managing the message is exactly what one would want to have in their own power. Must practice this!
All I can remember from meeting you was smiling a lot. You put me in a very good mood
It was fun! And, you're an excellent tour guide.
but Devin though. Hmmm. Perhaps I could sense another lion in the room. I was somewhat deflecting his "who is this guy?" Questions. I don't like talking about work as if it defines anything in people. Perhaps that showed on my face.
Unfortunately, that is how he defines himself, so it's the type of conversation he would be comfortable having. You handled it very graciously.
You can see it was a very entertaining evening for me.
I'm glad!