The Belgian writer Madeleine Bourdouxhe’s exquisite first novel, La Femme de Gilles, published in 1937 and translated by Faith Evans in 1992, explores the pain of adultery. It is told mainly from the point of view of Elisa, the faithful wife who is in love with her handsome husband Gilles, a factory worker. We don’t […]
Some favorite books of the year (and more below) My husband and I started making “Best of the year” lists in the ’90s. We typed them up in an amateurish newsletter and mailed them to friends. Our friends laughed at our lists and made counter-lists. Did we really think the best book was X, the […]
For weeks I intended to go to Half Price Books, the only used bookstore in town, one of a 120-store Texas-based chain. I wanted to try to sell my Folio Society five-book Dickens set (1985). The problem was my husband wanted to divvy the Dickens up in our panniers and bike there. I wasn’t enthusiastic […]
mirabile dictu 