![]() ![]() He is, if not quite a glutton for punishment, then at least someone with a hearty appetite for it. ![]() What Neil gets is the opportunity to be outwitted by a woman of formidable reticence and intellect. It’s unclear what Elizabeth gets out of the meetings. When the course ends, Neil bravely invites his crush to lunch, and for 20 years they dine twice or thrice annually. Intrigued by Finch’s poise, dazzled by her confidence, he concocts wild fantasies about her extracurricular life: silk pajamas, Italian lakes, French vineyards, mysterious lovers. On the first day of class, Elizabeth outlines her pedagogical method: “I shall not attempt to stuff you with facts as a goose is stuffed with corn this would only lead to an engorged liver, which would be unhealthy.” Neil is besotted. The narrator is her student, the somewhat dimwitted but diligent Neil. The siren is Elizabeth Finch, a teacher of adult education courses in London two decades ago. These qualities may not scream “racy” or “seductive” or “exotic” to you, but you are not the narrator of Julian Barnes’s 25th book. A discreet brooch pinned to her blouse, a formal manner of speaking, a keen interest in antiquity and a tendency to suffer from migraines. A woman dressed in brown suede brogues and a below-the-knee skirt, her legs obscured by stockings. $26.Īre you prepared for a vision of sizzling sexuality? Picture this. ELIZABETH FINCH By Julian Barnes 178 pages. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |