Shakespeare & Co: Balzac 101

a bookstore has a lot of words to chose from when they decide to adorn their walls with worth while words. but they chose these. i think they’re pretty good words to live by.

Visited Shakespeare and Company–the famous English bookstore in St. Germain very close to the Seine–and came across a short novella by Balzac. Having read none of his works, and dying for a book that could tell me a little more about Paris as it lives, not as it just simply exists–I coughed up 9 euro for better understanding:

“By dint of taking an interest in everything, the Parisian ends up being interested in nothing. Since no emotion predominates on his worn-out face, it turns grey as the walls of the houses, which have accumulated every kind of dust and smoke. In fact, indifferent today to what will intoxicate him tomorrow, the Parisian lives as a child does, no matter how old he is. He complains about everything, consoles himself for everything, makes fun of everything, forgets everything, wants everything, samples everything, takes everything with passion, abandons everything without concern–his kings, his conquests, his fame, or his idol, bronze or glass alike–in just the same way that he discards his stockings, his hats, and his fortune.”

– Honoré de Balzac, The Girl with The Golden Eyes

The book cover notes: “Raw as Balzac is famed to be, this daring novella is perhaps the most outlandish thing he ever wrote.”

I keep rereading the line about abandoning everything and taking everyting with passion. Certainly not all Parisians live like this but I’m stuck on it. Will keep thinking about. But until then, I won’t be abandoning this book–I’m gonna take every word in.