Commerce

I suppose I should be thankful for the holidays, if only in terms of rest yielded. These past few days have witnessed a further blossoming of my appreciation for Bolano, something I wasn't sure was possible. My expected detours into genre didn't happen and now my wife is out buying a new flat-screen TV. Sigh.

I have noted before the comfort of reading in a hostile environment, namely a shopping center. So it was last night, after stuffing ourselves at the Indian Palace, I read Bolano's treatment of the journalist and the ex-con, both african-american, with stunned appreciation. Scores of haggard shoppers stumbled past, well-worn seasonal carols wheezed out of Muzak while I remained content.