Friday, January 08, 2010

fugitive pieces


Thanks to another snowday, I’ve just finished reading “Fugitive Pieces” by Anne Michaels. I think it’s the most beautifully-written book I’ve ever read. I found myself regularly re-reading lines after being struck by what I felt was their sheer poetic brilliance (this doesn’t sound much like Steve I hear you say!). I just wish I had the capacity to remember some of them off by heart. I could let you have dozens of examples, but here are just two:
Truth grows gradually in us, like a musician who plays a piece over and over again until suddenly he hears it for the first time”, and
The memories we elude catch up to us, overtake us like a shadow. A truth appears suddenly in the middle of a thought, a hair on a lens”.
A truly magical book.
Once I’d got into it, I found it completely captivating. Very many thanks to Gareth for recommending/lending me the book in the first place (she was right!).
PS: when I wasn't shopping for essential supplies or walking through the snow-filled local park or reading, I seemed to spend the remaining time "trying to be Nigel Slater" - cooking comfort food! Making vegetable soup for lunch (perfect with "Mark's Bread" accompaniment) and shepherd's pie for supper. Happy day!

4 comments:

Alice said...

what's "mark's bread"?

Sounds lovely - now I just need you to come and make us comfort food as well!

bigdaddystevieB said...

new local baker - concentrating on soda bread I think - set up by our friend Mark (who else?).

blue hands said...

that'll be sourdough bread. His strapline is "artisan breads", and many of them are made using the soudough method of exploiting the natural yeasts from the environment.

bigdaddystevieB said...

... you live and you learn!
x