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“The
narrator comes to meet honey-colored
Katell in a hotel on the Boulevard
Magenta.” |
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"I
asked for a room and furnished
priceless papers to ensure the
young miss of my honest identity.
The passport I presented was one
I used in all hotels scarce of
amenities, in want of luxury; rooms
I planned to stay in a mere night
and no more. It was a weathered
passport, and had to be smoothed
out to be read correctly. ..."
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“The
narrator composes his 'Hero's Tale'
in the Faubourg St-Germain.” |
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"No
place ever inspired me to compose
illuminated psalms as did the
Faubourg Saint Germain. What
a beautiful night to go vagabonding
through antique Parisian streets… A
gorgeous night to breathe the
fresh air of creation on balconies,
on rooftops, the sky draped over
a siren’s moistened braids;
the stars are pearls nested in
her hair, and I laugh as she
kisses me. O, how happy I am
tonight!...'"
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“Chasing
the virgin Daphné in the
Bois de Boulogne; and the rooftop
banquet.” |
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"I
approached the white-gowned girl,
my eyes fixed on where her summer
flesh met the hem of her cotton
summer wear. I scanned her with
the stealth of a hunter-beast
who, in a mere glance, can tell
where the meaty parts are on
the limbs of prey and sees whether
or not it is worth the chase...."
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“The
'Victory Horse' Soliloquy” -
building the wooden wine-carrier
to supply a feast with wine. |
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"On
the rue de Buci, we passed saw
a blacksmith stoking a fire to
hammer out glowing rods of iron.
On the rue de Seine, we saw peasant
woman taking a child to leave
it to be exposed. Somewhere along
the way, Niels procured a sort
of tin canister with ridges;
and, using a small wooden baton
to swipe at its side, he made
a rhythm that we could all march
to. We all had our hearts set
on the great feast that would
be made with our wine down along
the quai..."
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“Meeting
the Spanish dovelette, Palomita,
in a room in Saint Germain des
Prés.” |
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"'I
like that song. Why did you stop?
. . . You know, if I don’t
get into fashion school, I have
to go back to Sevilla to my parents’ house.'
'Nonsense! You could stay in Paris and join with some other little
gypsies like yourself. You all can run around Paris in colorful dresses
picking pockets and telling fortunes. Tell me the future, my beautiful
Spaniardess...'"
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“Excerpt
from 'The Midsummer Soliloquy'
...summer parties and seaport adventures.” |
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"Felix
and I had a good stack of cash
now, and we went quickly up to
the room to count it and put
it away. That night, we invited
two short, dark-haired Swedish
girls, one from Stockholm, the
other from Göteborg, to
come up to our room..."
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“The
Athens Digression... the narrator
composes a tale of two star-crossed
lovers in Greece.” |
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"'Enough
of this! Time to work!' ... Back
at my desk, I took again the
pen to my happy hand…
'The story goes: a girl had been married young to a wealthy Salamis
merchant who was already old and disagreeable, but she was in love
with a poor, yet handsome, youth (who was very romantic, as poor youths
usually are)....'"
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Excerpt] |
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“Narrator
meets
the strange 'Anne-Sophie' on the
quai of the Seine. The two go into
a café.” |
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"'Listen,'
I finally said to the girl,
'we have been standing here now
looking
at each other for over ten minutes.
And twice now you have tried
to take my hand. Or at least
it seems as if that were what
you were trying to do. And I
would let you certainly, or I
would take yours gladly for you
have an incomprehensible beauty,
but dear girl . . . have you
no coat?!!...'"
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Excerpt] |
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“'Ode
to Spring' - the lyric poem written
by the narrator as he sits in the
Parc Monceau.” |
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"So
the nymphs they spoke,
We kissed and laid,
By noontime’s hour,
Our love was made,
Like braided chains of crocus stems,
We lay entwined,
I laid with them,
Our breath, one glassy, tideless sea,
Our bodies
draping wearily.
We slept, I slept
so lucidly,
with hopes to stay
this memory..."
[Read
Excerpt] |
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