THE THIRTY-FIFTH PAGE

There are people who read only one book a year--usually a very long novel for their vacation. Length is a very important consideration because one does not want to run out of a book on vacation and be forced to buy another--it’s one decision a year for The Book of the Year. The annual book policy assumes that the frivolity of reading must not impede ordinary working life.

(It may be considered rude that I not share my wife’s name, but that would give her more color than she deserves, and she has found her own celebrity in her own way. I leave it to her. The young man later in my life must also remain nameless. The dog’s name was Henry James, “Hank” when called.)

Mysterious forces must have been at play, when the wife, no doubt seeking a public toilet, made her choice. The photograph on the back flap had been widely praised by my friends, but later experience indicates that this would not have been persuasive to one whose type I was not. The despicable jacket would not even attract the visually impaired; the gold embossing would repel the human hand.

When later pressed, my wife said she had instantly taken off the jacket. The color of the binding would harmonize with her couch.