It took me about four years to get a membership to the Salt Lake City Public Library, if I remember correctly. This is about the same time, counting from my arrival there, that it took the town to build a modern, beautiful library. I didn't go often, but always with joy, and read more there than I ended up checking out.
Today, I finally signed up for the Grenoble Municipal Library system, after two years in town and with only three months to go. But I want to read Irving Stone's The Agony and the Ecstasy before I go to Florence in two weeks, and I don't feel like buying the book. While the library doesn't have the English original, the German translation was available in the international branch.
That's where I directed my steps this afternoon. I was a bit disappointed by the opening hours (only two per day!) and also by the size of the facility and the breadth of its selection, but when you're new to something, it's exciting no matter what, and I had soon found interesting picks to take home besides the tome that I had come for.
Since I had nothing better to do I stayed and read what seemed interesting. In Die Zeit, a weekly whose in-depth articles I appreciate when I'm traveling but for which I have no time otherwise, I found an article that judges as harshly as I did the dismal dozen running for president here in France. One memorable sentence points out all "are united by a oftentimes blatant ignorance of economic questions".
Maybe they should all go get a library membership and start reading up on society, economics and politics before dancing on tables and clowning for attention. France would probably be better off for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment