In the tram, lots of young people, eyes down to their I-phones or the kind. A picture of heads bent down, unaware of what the world around is.
I always have a book in my pocket. Sometimes, someone smiles at me and ask me "can you read in this noise around ?" (that's when it's rush hours and I have to stand). And I say "yes, I get off at the end of the line, so I don't worry, even if I sometimes have to read back the last paragraph !" I also like to raise my eyes and have a look around to see the people in the "box"
I don't have ear-plugs, when I hear something, I lift my eyes from my book - I'm curious, I like to know what is around.
Loud-mouth black or arab boys laughing when they get on.
I probably did the same when I was in my teens. Went back to my book. A couple of stations futher, "excuse me madam" one of them said, and he went off the tram. Like a good son his mother has taught him to be, one in 100, one of the 99 in a hundred...
But I like the 15 or so minutes on the tram. I read, or if I can't, I meet intresting people
The last ones I've read :
"
La Bague sans Doigt", Jean Zay. About
Jean Zay, this novel was written when he was in jail under the collaborationist "Etat Français". I worked in the same school as one of his daughters, I buy books in the bookshop his other daugyter founded). It was written in 1941, it has a kind of "Tintin feel" if you know what I mean, it's kind of naive, very 1930s... An important person in my hometown. Among other things he was the one who founded the "
Festival de Cannes"
"
Le Testament d'un Poète Juif Assassiné",
Elie Wiesel. I found it in a "book box", in a park. A very dense, emotional historical semi autobiographical novel. Alot of my family memories collapsing to this novel...
Today, I'm about to finish "
Le Disparu de Larvik" (Blindgang) by Jorn Lier Horst. Very well-written, The French translation is good enough to render the narrative skill of the author.
Tomorrow, I'll start an essay, "
Un chagrin français", by Anne Rosencher, a journalist trying to find a remedy to what could bring France to the dark ages we knew. A declaration of love to France and "collective bravery" (courage collectif).
Alain