"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

...to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

Ah, Thoreau. His words sparkle like water in a creek.

Violetta took Thoreau's advice and headed to the woods, with with her gentleman friend - let's call him "Tym" - to a lovely resort near San Luis Obispo about 3 hours up the coast, apparently, where he "popped the question." Giddy with delight, she regaled me with all the details, including the handsome sapphire and diamond ring that "sealed the deal."

What I think is even more exciting about this whole enterprise is that we will have a new roommate: A man who is easygoing, very intelligent, and who has excellent taste in graphic novels. Thus, Tym, I welcome you.

But, on to other matters. Violetta finally discovered, in a shelves-to-ceiling used book store in "SLO" (San Luis Obispo's nickname), one of the New Classics (?)--the much-celebrated debut novel by Donna Tartt, The Secret History. Since this book she seemingly has failed to reach the same heights, and the book is really more a densely intellectual thriller than a "great novel," but stops just short of overly florid prose and remains a pageturner.

Further, one of the main characters' name is Bunny. His fate is not to be desired, but his name is Bunny.

The book was written in 1994 and takes place at a fictional university, a small campus in Vermont, where 5 students study, solely, with a creepily proper Greek teacher. The allusions to great works by Dante and other classicists are just explained enough for even the barely learned reader, and the action is gripping. The students' detachment with campus life and obsession with the esoteric neatly lead them to murder, perhaps a bit too neatly, but it is gripping.

I think it would make an excellent movie. Go read the book and then review with me this cast list:

Dr. Julian: Alan Rickman or Ian Holme
Charles and Camilla (Twins, not the British royal lovers): Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal
Henry: Henry Thomas, natch
Bunny: Owen Wilson with some age-reducing makeup
Richard (the lead): Adam Scott (A wonderful and busy character actor most notably seen as JLo's gay pal in Monster in Law, but very good, dramatically speaking, in a recent episode of Law and Order, which Violetta obssessively tapes)

And that is all. It was a busy weekend devouring James Mason movies and reading, and I am looking forward to the week ahead. A cooler week, one hopes! It's hard being furry!