Whenever, during the summer, he took a party of students abroad under his genial wing, catastrophic event attended him. As he sat sipping his vermouth and introducing himself to tourists at the Flore or the Deux Magots, the boys and girls under his guidance were being robbed, eloping to Italy, losing their passports, slipping off to Monte Carlo, seeking out an abortionist, deciding to turn queer, cabling the decision to their parents, while he took out his watch and wondered why they were late in meeting him for the expedition to Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
-- Groves of Academe by Mary McCarthy, which is on the Anthony Burgess list of Top 99 novels. Every sentence in this book is a gem. It is a short book, but I keep rereading sentences over and over because they are so wonderful.
Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.
I haven't read McCarthy for years. Had forgotten her unique style, but it reminds me of prep school in the late 1950s. I intended to go on to Vassar but decided not to. Otherwise I would have met people just like her characters.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like the kind of book I adore! I'll read it for sure.
ReplyDeleteMy Teaser is from ORPHAN TRAIN.
I want to know who this guy is--does chaos really travel in his wake--is he exaggerating?
ReplyDeleteInteresting voice!