Letter L.

How is everyone enjoying French February? I've just finished Part I of Les Liaisons Dangereuses and so far, I'm enthralled, and I'm hoping everyone who is joining in is as well and you're glad I picked this one!

It is a fascinating book, and I do enjoy epistolary novels (Clarissa being the ultimate!). I love the perspective, the knowing what's happening whilst the characters don't quite have the full picture. That I have the knowledge and the understanding; the omniscience, whilst each character pieces together what is happening to them. It's wonderful, and as I said about Clarissa, the characters speak for themselves, and it's as though Choderloc de Lacos is absent almost, merely the collector of documents, and the story is entirely in the hands of the characters. He has no control over them, it is they who are writing over his pages. And, finally, what better way to show the hypocrisy of Merteil and Valmont than through their letters, each one tailored to the recipient? A fantastic book, and I wonder why it's taken me so long to read.

As for other books this month: I've read one other French book: His Excellency by Émile Zola, which I've already blogged about. I'm a little behind, but I'm making progress with The Three Musketeers, The Social Contract, and L'Assommoir (let us not speak of The Faerie Queene). I didn't realise until this evening that I'd missed reading when I was away. I'm looking forward to going to bed and reading some more of Social Contract (I've only just begun, but I do like the tone of Rousseau's writing, although I'm yet to complete a book by him so perhaps that will change). I'm hoping to get a lot of reading done this coming week, but I am thinking ahead to spring and the other, non-bookish things I need to do... I think, possibly, spring is in the air. A little, anyway!