Podstrony
|
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
stomach and moving it up and down while making an aggrieved grimace.
Che barba!
You re adorable, I said. Absolutely adorable.
She acted as if I hadn t complimented her, but she smiled at me. So,
one of my cousins is a teacher at their equivalent to a high school. She got
me started on my love affair with Italian history.
I hoped I didn t look as amazed as I was. She traveled extensively, was
bilingual, and was a remarkably hard worker. How could she afford to
travel on her salary? I guess the union must pay well& or her relatives
paid for everything when she was there. If she only had to pay for airfare,
I guess that wouldn t be too bad. Oops! It was my turn to talk. What s
your favorite period? I asked, after forcing myself to recall where we d
left off.
It s hard to vote against the Renaissance, she said thoughtfully. But
lately, I ve been reading about the city-states of the eleventh century.
You re coming my way, I said. Better watch it, or you ll be studying
the guys wearing sandals.
Oh, I m interested in it all. I ve worked hardest at getting through
some of the classics.
Who ve you read?
She blew out some air, making a funny noise with her lips. Let s
see& Gibbon, of course.
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. That s not for slouches.
Edith Hamilton. I liked The Greek Way best of her stuff.
Gina wasn t blowing smoke. She was reading college-level books.
I got through one of Werner Jaeger s books, but it took me a while,
she said, chuckling.
Damn, that s deep stuff.
She looked a little hurt, but continued. I read Theodor Mommsen s
History of Rome. That guy could write. And I agree with him that the
oligarchy was a bad idea. It s a shame he didn t get to write about the
70
Cherry Grove
empire. I mean, the republic is damned interesting, but I d love to hear
his thoughts on the empire.
I hoped my mouth wasn t open. Gina was reading things graduate
students were plodding through. I was stunned, but realized it was my
turn to talk. When someone writes something so fantastic, something
that s still entertaining a hundred or two hundred years after they wrote it,
it just makes you wish they d had a couple of extra decades, doesn t it?
Sure does, she said, nodding. I tried Thomas Tyrwhitt, but couldn t
get anywhere. Too hard for me.
He s too hard for anyone, I laughed. He doesn t have many fans in
Classical circles. You didn t miss a thing.
With a luminous smile, she said, Thanks. I never know if I m reading
the right stuff. I just go on recommendations I read about on the Internet
or with writers another author praises. If everyone agrees that someone s
great, I ll try to get through it no matter how long it takes me. But like I
said, I m usually just guessing. I could be reading total crap.
I couldn t contain my feelings any longer. Gina, I can t begin to tell
you how impressed I am with what you ve read. You ve tackled some
remarkably difficult stuff. I m truly in awe of your having gotten into this
with no one leading or guiding you.
She looked pleased, but also a little defiant. If I wanted to be spoon-
fed, I could have gone to college. I like to think for myself.
She was a real solipsist about college, but I didn t think I should try to
convince her she was wrong. Besides doubting that I could, I didn t want
to come off as the expert. What are you reading now?
Her eyes lit up with delight. A really interesting book by Charles
Pellegrino.
I don t think I ve heard of him.
She looked to make sure I was being serious. You ve gotta read this,
Hayden. It s called Ghosts of Vesuvius.
I hoped it wasn t a historical novel. Those things drive me nuts.
They re so simplified that their focus is way too weak, and they never get
past being topical. Tell me about it.
This guy s cool. He s into physics and forensic anthropology, and he s
also a vulcanologist. He s one of those big thinkers. Know what I mean?
71
Susan X Meagher
No, not really.
Sure you do. He s not limited to one thing. He doesn t stick to one
field. I m just at the part where he s talking about 9/11 and how
cataclysmic events like that mold societies. It s really making me think,
she said, looking very happy. I read a paragraph or two and have to stop
to think about what he said. That s my favorite kind of book.
Mine, too, I said, sharing her smile.
Did you read Pompeii?
I swallowed. I had read it, and it was interesting for historical fiction.
I d had to read it because all of my undergrad Classics students were
proud of themselves for reading a book that hadn t been assigned in class.
It s rare that a Classics geek saw a book in his field on the best-seller list.
Yeah, I did read it, I said, smiling encouragingly, hoping she moved
on.
Didn t work. Gina scowled slightly. Didn t you like it?
No, no, it was good. Very entertaining.
Her eyebrows almost touched. You say that like an insult.
Well, I ran my hands through my hair, finding the band I usually
kept on my wrist. I pulled my hair into a ponytail, trying to think of how
to get myself out of this discussion. I mean it. It was an entertaining
book.
You don t like to be entertained? One eyebrow rose.
Of course, I do. No way out. I had to say it. I prefer books that
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pldoc.pisz.plpdf.pisz.plkskarol.keep.pl
|
