I'm glad that I read this book (once I got into it, which
took a while) because the writing is way above the average on the market today.
That in itself was a treat. Yet, I don't feel like I would have missed much, if
anything, by not having read this.
Many times throughout the book, I found myself wishing
I could have the Count's modus operandi ingrained in my speech and habits.
Interestingly, I found this Q and A with the author
which offers several interesting perspectives. If you have read the book, be
sure to read this article, especially "The Two Most Frequently Asked
Questions" at the end.
Several quotes I marked:
“The principle here is that a new
generation owes a measure of thanks to every member of the previous generation.
Our elders planted fields and fought wars; they advanced the arts and sciences,
and generally made sacrifices on our behalf. So by their efforts, however
humble, they have earned a measure of our gratitude and respect.”
“By broadening your horizons,
what I meant is that education will give you a sense of the world’s scope, of
its wonders, of its many and varied ways of life.”
“Taking a sip, the Count
reviewed the menu in reverse order as was his habit, having learned from
experience that giving consideration to appetizers before entrees can only lead
to regrets.” Agreed!
“If patience wasn’t so easily
tested, then it would hardly be a virtue.”
“Surely, the span of time
between the placing of an order and the arrival of appetizers is one of the
most perilous in all human interaction. What young lovers have not found
themselves at this juncture in a silence so sudden, so seemingly insurmountable
that it threatens to cast doubt upon their chemistry as a couple? What husband
and wife have not found themselves suddenly unnerved by the fear that they
might not ever have something urgent, impassioned, or surprising to say to each
other again. So it is with good reason that most of us meet this dangerous
interstice with a sense of foreboding.” How true! . . . So to circumvent any unease, the Count
and Sofia invented a game, “Zut”, where one player chooses a “category encompassing a specialized subset
of phenomena – such as stringed instruments, or famous islands, or winged
creatures other than birds. The two players then go back and forth until one of
them fails to come up with a fitting example in a suitable interval of time
(say, two and a half minutes). Victory goes to the first player who wins two
out of three rounds.” What a great
game idea! Maybe the game is "out there" and I'm unaware, but what a
great thing this would be in compact form -- a booklet that could easily be
carried and tucked away but able to be produced quickly -- containing suggested
categories. I can think of many other times of use besides waiting on food to
be brought to the table. And what a great tool to bring children up on.
“ . . . [L]ife does not
proceed by leaps and bounds. It unfolds. At any given moment, it is the
manifestation of a thousand transitions. Our faculties wax and wane, our
experiences accumulate, and our opinions evolve – if not glacially, then at
least gradually.”
