InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Next we can take on Starbucks."

Jacques Belmont (jacques_belmont) wrote in toujoursliberer,
@ 2008-05-21 21:28:00

Subject: Buying books and meeting new people
Where: A bookshop in London, backdated to a week ago
Who: Jacques Belmont
Warnings: None
Open to: Charles Hurst, anyone else who might be there

Jacques was more than relieved to find that bookshops were the same the world over. You always knew where you were in bookshops, just by picking a volume off the shelf and leafing through it. True, the books were in English instead of French and Shakespeare replaced Moliere and Racine, but the sun cast the same dusty shadows on the floor, the light dimmed by shelf after shelf after shelf.

There was something very comforting about bookshops. You could find nearly anything you wanted to know about, with only a little effort on your part, and were free to roam wherever your interests and the shop owner let you. Jacques slid off a slim volume of Shakespearean sonnets and began reading.

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waxingpoetic
2008-05-22 02:22 am UTC (link)

Charles had been meaning to replace a copy of Romeo and Juliet that he was convinced his brother had destroyed with tea. Crispin had tried to blame the dogs, then their sister, but his shift in stories made the truth clear. It had been an accident, Charles had no doubts, but the book was still damaged.

He made his way through the shelves in the bookstore to the section he loved best. Shakespeare's works in all their glory. Another gentleman was browsing the same shelves, and Charles tried not to get in his way as his eyes scanned the spines of the books. He spotted the one he was looking for easily enough. It was almost in front of the other gentleman, who was reading.

"Pardon me," he said before taking a copy of Romeo and Juliet off of the shelf and taking a good step backwards. He disliked invading another person's personal space, especially that of a stranger.

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	jacques_belmont 2008-05-22 03:24 am UTC (link)
	"De rien," Jacques said absently, re-reading a sonnet. He had liked what little Shakespeare he had read in France, but English authors were never very popular. He felt slightly lost when he considered the fifty or so volumes in front of him. "Excuse me, citoyen, but, ah... have you read much of Shakespeare?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	waxingpoetic 2008-05-22 11:39 am UTC (link)
	Charles looked up from his book and smiled. "Yes, actually. Are you looking for something in particular of his?" He would be glad to make a recommendation based on taste. Shakespeare had written something for everyone, he felt. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jacques_belmont 2008-05-23 02:12 pm UTC (link)
	"Not in particular," Jacques replied, shutting the book of sonnets. "I have, alas, read very little Shakespeare." He smiled, a little ruefully. "French prejudices against British literature. Is there a play he is best known for?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

waxingpoetic
2008-05-23 03:00 pm UTC (link)

Charles nodded, understanding. He smiled down at the book in his hand and pointed to the title. "Romeo and Juliet is an excellent piece, one of my personal favourites. But not everyone enjoys a tragic romance," he said, then gestured to the bookshelf in front of them. "A Midsummer Night's Dream is on the more fanciful and humourous side. I would highly recommend both."

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	jacques_belmont 2008-05-25 03:34 am UTC (link)
	Jacques picked up A Midsummer Night's Dream and weighed it thoughtfully. "Merci, citoyen. Have you read many of these plays?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

waxingpoetic
2008-05-25 03:10 pm UTC (link)

"Oh, yes. I have a great appreciation for Shakespeare's works. I'm also partial to his poetry, a wonderful collection in and of itself," Charles said with a pleased smile. He warned himself not to carry on and on about his favourite plays and poems, as the other gentleman would likely be uninterested. "He had a keen eye for seeing all aspects of humanity and writing about them both seriously and satirically."

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	jacques_belmont 2008-05-27 01:26 pm UTC (link)
	"He sounds like Moliere, then," Jacques said, with a smile. "I regret I never read much Shakespeare in school. Do they put on these plays regularly?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

waxingpoetic
2008-05-27 01:49 pm UTC (link)

"Some of them, yes. Though it's difficult to find anyone willing to put on some of the plays using the original scripts. It seems the public is happier with more modern interpretations of certain scenes that may otherwise offend their gentle sensibilities," Charles said, his smile turning wry. He preferred art for art's sake, but understood that without an audience there was no real need for a play. "I cannot say I blame the theatres in some respects."

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	jacques_belmont 2008-05-27 03:06 pm UTC (link)
	"Modern interpretations?" Jacques asked, a little shocked. "At the Maison de Moliere- that is, the Comedie-Francaise- the theatre company would be hissed offstage for trying to alter the words of Moliere. England and France appear to me to be more disseperate than I thought." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	waxingpoetic 2008-05-27 03:19 pm UTC (link)
	"I wish I could say that the same would happen here," Charles said. He looked down at the book in his hands again for a moment. "I don't agree with the practice myself. And I could not count myself a writer if I thought for a moment that such a thing was ever necessary. This is why I prefer to read Shakespeare at the moment." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

jacques_belmont
2008-05-27 03:29 pm UTC (link)

"I do not blame you," Jacques said, shaking his head. "I think, no matter how things change in France, the Comedie-Francaise will continue along the way it always has, and if anyone tries to stop them, may the Creator look kindly on them. In fact, it is almost impossible for any more recent author to get his plays performed at the Comedie-Francaise- all Moliere, Racine, Cornielle, and Voltaire."

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