[Industrialblog,
September 27, 2006]
Emperor's Children
I recently read The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud. Well, I read the first half, and then having figured out where the plot must be going, skipped to the last four chapters.
The book is worth a look. Ms. Messud has done some reporting, and has a good feel for characters. One touch was utterly brilliant ... there is a character who sees himself as a man-about-town, a man of leisure, and he disappears for a while. His friends miss him and wonder what he's up to. He hints at a severe pornography problem. Actually, he's working as a temp secretary. Oh, the shame of it!
Reminds me of one of my favorite jokes. During a class in kindergarten, all the little boys and girls are telling what their parents do for a living. "My mommy's an editor!" "My father's a fireman." "My stepmom's a nurse." But little Johnny Jones says, "My father plays piano in a whorehouse." The teacher banishes the student to the corner for lying, where he cries and proclaims his innocence. A few weeks later, during parent-teacher night, the teacher approaches Mr. Jones.
"You have a sweet boy, Mr. and Mrs. Jones," the teacher says. "But I had to punish Johnny for saying you played piano in a whorehouse! Where did he get that from?"
"That's what I told him," said Mr. Jones.
"Why?" the teacher sputtered.
"I'm a lawyer," said Mr. Jones. "But how am I supposed to explain that to a five-year-old?"
The book is worth a look. Ms. Messud has done some reporting, and has a good feel for characters. One touch was utterly brilliant ... there is a character who sees himself as a man-about-town, a man of leisure, and he disappears for a while. His friends miss him and wonder what he's up to. He hints at a severe pornography problem. Actually, he's working as a temp secretary. Oh, the shame of it!
Reminds me of one of my favorite jokes. During a class in kindergarten, all the little boys and girls are telling what their parents do for a living. "My mommy's an editor!" "My father's a fireman." "My stepmom's a nurse." But little Johnny Jones says, "My father plays piano in a whorehouse." The teacher banishes the student to the corner for lying, where he cries and proclaims his innocence. A few weeks later, during parent-teacher night, the teacher approaches Mr. Jones.
"You have a sweet boy, Mr. and Mrs. Jones," the teacher says. "But I had to punish Johnny for saying you played piano in a whorehouse! Where did he get that from?"
"That's what I told him," said Mr. Jones.
"Why?" the teacher sputtered.
"I'm a lawyer," said Mr. Jones. "But how am I supposed to explain that to a five-year-old?"