Friday 14 November 2008

Feeling much better

Aspirin, a very hot bath, pints of tea, a whisky-mac that a spoon would stand up in (mixed by my Dad - thank you), the run of my parents' library, and spending three days more or less horizontal, either sleeping or distracting my mind from all difficult subjects, have pretty much perked me up again. I'm not sure I'll actually go for a dance tomorrow, that might be a bad idea, but we'll see.

My holiday was indeed completely wasted, but that happens in winter. I should have taken the days last Spring.

Thank you all of my commenters for your good wishes, it is sweet of you and I appreciate it.

Reading bits and bobs of books I've read before is just the best thing for keeping the mind quiet. Desolation Island - my word, that man was good. Georgette Heyer was also great at what she did, and nobody else would have bothered to construct something like These Old Shades, or The Grand Sophy, or the brilliantly ridiculous Beauvallet. I wonder if either of those last two is even in print now. My mother's paperbacks have pre-decimal prices, and I think one has her maiden name written inside. Even Ellis Peters, who wasn't nearly as good, though inventive, makes a real contribution to healing. Her familiar paperbacks were new when I first read them, about twenty years ago. I've brought one back to my flat, to doze off with; my library is a fluid, amoebic daughter of the family one.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yay! Glad you're feeling better. I've always liked this quote

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers."
~ Charles W. Eliot

Beauvallet was reprinted in 2006 and The Grand Sophy in 2004; both are available through Amazon.

msHedgehog said...

I can only just bring myself to believe that somebody reprinted Beauvallet. That's insane. But, when I think about it, considerably less so than remaking The Italian Job.

Game Cat said...

Ms H - Welcome back.

For out of print classics, have you tried Persephone Books in Bloomsbury (http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/)? May be worth a browse on a grey autumn day.

Anonymous said...

Persephone books are lovely. Beautiful to look at to start with. Their shop is in Lambs Conduit Street. Worth a visit if you are in the area.

I'd recommend The Making of a Marchioness, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, and It's Hard to be Hip over Thirty. It would be tempting to buy them all to fill a bookcase with tasteful greyness.

maya said...

Good to know you are on the mend. Ah... the re-reading of books after a long interval. It always bring some surprises.