Benedict Reid > Recent Status Updates

Every page is funny, but it gets repetitive after a few pages.

So pompous and self-involved. But with occasional insights.
Loved this from page 98 "I get less from poems than I used to. I get more from the... discovering that I actually want to be a soft and loving human being."

Dipped back into this and loved the essay about ancient greek texts as modern inspiration. "The avenues are never closed". Got me through a few less-meanful essays.

I started reading this on the plane to Jakarta in 2007, finally picking it up again to see if I can finish it this time.

I totally enjoyed this book, finding it very readable until Anderton became the deputy prime minister. From that point there seemed to be less room given to Anderton's critics from the left (or the right) than a purely neutral autobiography would have expected. Not that this is a hagiography. I wonder if part of the issue is that so many players are still alive.

My beautiful Collin's Illustrated Pocket Classics edition has it's own ribbon. The ribbon is over 100 years old, so I shouldn't have been so surprised when the bottom cm of it fell off while I was reading last night. But I was very disappointed to have damaged this book via my use of it.