Talk to the Hand, by Lynne Truss (3.5)

Talk to the Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door


I have to say, I did like the book, and I knew what it would be like going into it, which basically is like a long newspaper column or magazine article with (albeit British) humor somewhat on the lines of Erma Bombeck or Dave Barry. A very very quick read- enjoyable with some pretty good points and quite a few things to think about.

Whether it's merely a question of advancing years bringing greater intolerance I don't think that I shall bother to establish. I will just say that, for my own part, I need hardly defend myself against any knee-jerk "grumpy old woman" accusations, being self-evidently so young and fresh and liberal and everything. It does, however, have to be admitted that the outrage reflex ("Oh, that's so RUDE!") presents itself in most people at just about the same time as their elbow skin starts to give out. Check your own elbow skin. If it snaps back into position after bending, you probably should not be reading this book. If, on the other hand, it just sits there in a puckered fashion, a bit rough and belligerent, then you can probably also name about twenty things, right now, off the top of your head, that drive you nuts: people who chat in the cinema; young people sauntering four-abreast on the pavement; waiters who say, "There you go" as they place your bowl of soup on the table; people not even attempting to lower their voices when they use the Eff word. People with young, flexible elbow skin spend less time defining themselves by things they don't like. Warn a young person that "Each man becomes the thing he hates", and he is likely to reply, quite cheerfully, that that's OK, then, since the only thing he really hates is broccoli.
p. 4-5

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The Yellow Admiral, by Patrick O'Brain

The Yellow Admiral (Vol. Book 18) (Aubrey/Maturin Series)

Faith and Begorra- A new entry!

Mostly of quotes.

"The heart has its reasons that the... that the..."

"Kidneys?" suggested Stephen.

"That the kidneys know not." Jack frowned. "No. Hell and death, that's not it. But anyhow the heart has its reasons, you understand."

"It is a singularly complex organ, I am told."
p.58

"I do not have to tell you, Stephen, how wholly I long to receive the order requesting and requiring me, as rear-admiral of the blue, to proceed to the smallest of commands, to His Majesty's sloop of war Mosquito, say, with two four-pounders and a swivel, and to hoist my flag at her mizzen-mast. I should do anything for it. Anything."

"Does Simmon's Lea come within the limits of anything?"

"No, of course not, Stephen; how can you be so strange?"

"It is an elastic term, you know."
p. 106

"It had always astonished me that a woman with as much sense as Sophie- and she is no fool, you know- can be so influenced by her mother, who is a fool, a downright great God-damned fool, even where money is concerned, which is saying a great deal."
p. 185

"This liquid is technically known as soup," Jack went on, having taken off the cover. "May I ladle you out a measure?"

"It is pleasant enough to see the remnants of peas so aged and worn that even the weevils scorned them and died at their side, so that now we have both predator and prey to nourish us."
p. 214

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