PERE GORIOT

"Once a man knows Paris, he believes nothing of what is said there, and says nothing of what is done"--Pere Goriot

For the past week I've been reading Balzac's Pere Goriot for the Classic Book Club.  It's brilliant in a pretty cynical way.  Balzac seemed to know Paris the way Dickens knew London.

I'm now distributing Olivia Chow leaflets in Forest Hill!  Just today I did Richview Avenue (well named!), Dewbourne Avenue and Ava Road.  Even in this cooler weather, I'm still working up a sweat.

Father and I are now watching the third season of Upstairs, Downstairs on Netflix.  Hudson has a great poker face when speaking with the masters!   I think this is the season where it really got into high gear, when Hazel entered the household first as Richard's secretary then as James' wife. (She should have married Richard, of course.) If you ask me, Georgina--who first appears in the middle of this season--is a more believable character than Elizabeth.

Yesterday I went to see Dr. Hassan but his place was closed! (That's the first time that's ever happened.) I guess they couldn't phone me to cancel my appointment because we've changed our phone number.  I'll have to go arrange for a new appointment whenever I get around to it.

On the Facebook group devoted to the Batman TV series I impressed some people by posting a still of Neil Hamilton (Commissioner Gordon) in his starring role in America, D.W. Griffiths' silent epic of the Revolutionary War which he'd starred in four decades earlier.  I also posted a still of him as Nick Carraway in the now-lost silent movie of The Great Gatsby.

They're going to have another Chinese art class on Sundays.  I think my leaves are improving!