Also the neighbourhood is presently awash in lilac scent because lilacs burgeon on every lilac bush-- except, of course, mine. Am of two minds here: lilacs are a lovely sensual experience, but the scent of fruit tree blossoms is much more restrained and therefore elegant. Also they're much briefer and therefore never go rotten rank the way lilacs and orange blossoms do.
2. Learned a new word today: epigone - an inferior imitator of some distinguished writer or artist of musician. This in a discussion of Tolkien. OTOH I only recently discovered that Tolkien has two syllables, not three. I cannot say how much this crushes me. Tol-keen? Really??
3. I should be liking The Eyre Affair better than I do. It has all sorts of pleasant Library overtones, and I'm by nature fond of punning names. But I can't follow the action if I stop reading for a bit, and I can't remember who everyone is. First novel-itis, perhaps?
