“Am I in love? –yes, since I am waiting. The other one never waits. Sometimes I want to play the part of the one who doesn’t wait; I try to busy myself elsewhere, to arrive late; but I always lose at this game. Whatever I do, I find myself there, with nothing to do, punctual, even ahead of time. The lover’s fatal identity is precisely this: I am the one who waits.”
Something I am very excited about : finishing this today- A Lover’s Discourse by Roland Barthes. So, so very good, it’s a series of mini- what do you call something longer than a blurb but not quite an essay yet? Anyway. It reminds me of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary, which has become something of a cult favorite, although I’m not too keen on it myself. A Lover’s Discourse feels like a much more detailed and elegant recreation of a lover’s agitated consciousness, and I can’t decide which I like more- the delightful narrative craft (it is so beautifully written) or the speculative subject matter. Somehow I’m reminded of Jeanette Winterson- knowing nothing of love but insisting on writing about it all the same– and on that note, if you’ve got the time, please pick up Written on the Body or The Passion, both by her. Granted, they’re both been part of my course texts, but I find myself repeatedly delighted at how much I like the texts I necessarily have to read, every semester. So nice to actually like what I’m otherwise forced to read.
A lover’s discourse– recommended: yes. Ages 18 and above please because it’s a bit philosophical and i dont think i would have appreciated it if i were any younger than I am now, but I feel the same as I did two years ago so 18 seems safe.
Written on the Body/ The Passion – recommended- yes, in that very order, first, second.
I get a lot of emails from you guys requesting book recommendations so these should keep you guys relatively occupied. I dont know, I kind of wish I had access to books like these/ was aware of these books when I was younger- opening myself up to judgement here but i totally read twilight and all that shit when I was sixteen.
Judge away! Good luck to all hurtling at full speed towards the examinations, to those of you who’ve finished: shut, up.
x
♥jem