The news from Glasgow is good. Thomas is coming home this
evening. He had a grand time while he was there, at least he did today – an Xbox
brought to his bedside, playroom and cinema available. He would have preferred
to stay another day or two. His brother stayed with him last night (he’s in a
single room) and would have liked to move in himself.
There’s something to be said for Management. How much
nursing time and stress is saved if you don’t have to do battle with a ward of
bored adolescents?
Not much has been achieved here today. I had an attack of
diarrhoea in the night – no harm done, and it could have been a disaster, as I
was wearing my beloved Toast pyjamas. But it left me even weaker than usual. I
spent much of the morning in bed, including listening to Middlemarch. Thanks
for that, Unknown. And thanks for the suggestion of the Amazon DVD, Jenny, for
the old BBC television series. A serious possibility.
So I haven’t done much of this week’s Italian essay. I’ve
done a bit of knitting, but I forget the stitch count. No walk. No Ferrante.
The Financial Times Boring Book feature, mentioned here I
think, includes suggestions from various distinguished people. The chairman of
the Royal Bank of Scotland recommends an Italian novel – “I am God: A Novel” by
Giacomo Sartori. I’ve never heard of either. The paragraph concludes: “A highly
original novel, showing that there is, mercifully, more to Italian fiction than
Elena Ferrante”.
It is nice to have a man with such interests at the helm. An
improvement on Fred Goodwin. (Google if necessary)
Jean, check the reviews on Amazon for that Middlemarch CD before you order - some people have had problems with its quality. Amazon Prime is streaming the BBC version for US customers but not here in Canada - boo!
ReplyDeleteSomehow I was thinking that it was the barrister who had broken his leg! I have a copy of the "Middlemarch" video if you would like me to send it. I found Episode 1 made George Eliot seem like a writer with an epigrammatic style, whereas when I re-read the book recently, I was struck by how very often she moves from the specific to the general, making points about morality. This certainly slows the pace.
ReplyDeleteImpressive that the head of the bank recommends a comic Italian novel. We used to have a president here who could read, and shared his book lists.. Thanks, Beth for the tip on Amazon Middlemarch. Might be just the ticket for a snowy holiday weekend.
ReplyDeletewhoopsie, sorry Jean, I didn't intend to be ''unknown'', I just presumed my name would appear, must not post comment at 3:00 in the morning!!! hope you feel better. make sure to stay warm
ReplyDeletexxxxx
it dun it again!!!! from Enid Shaw, in Manchester UK
DeleteSorry about your sudden malady. Jean. Was it something you ate?
ReplyDeleteI think good managers are among the unsung heroes of society. Because when, thanks to them, all is smooth sailing, everyone takes it for granted. But when it is not, everyone is very aware of it. I remember reading how in the States at least, library editions of audiobooks are often much better than commercial ones. That was years ago but it still might be worth considering for those on a budget. Or when no other source can be found. Chloe