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27 Dec-11 Jan 23
Well-written prose depicting the sexual relationship between a rich, white American college student and a French shopgirl during his sojourn in provincial France. His privilege and her somewhat naive complicity did disturb me a little as the story moved to its inevitable ending. Salter‘s writing is crisp and beautiful, however, and this is more of an exercise in writing lovely (1960s era) erotica than a fully fleshed out novel.

"He is determined to perform the most gentle act, but he doesn't know exactly where to enter. He tries to find it. His arms are trembling. Suddenly he feels her flesh give way and then, deliciously, the muscle close about him. He tries not to press against anything, to go in straight. She is breathing quickly, and as he withdraws on the first stroke he can feel her jerking with pleasure. It's the short movements she likes." ? #ReadingResolutions

“Jim‘s book had a rave review in the Times and Kirkus Review called it “as erotic a novel as any since Henry Miller . . . We were amazed that it didn‘t sell.”

— Paris Review 222.

I‘m always on the lookout for lost gems. This one is going on my TBR.

I went to the used bookstore yesterday to see if they had a copy of one specific book. They didn‘t, but I dropped $35 anyway. I should know better than to go into used bookstores.

On the positive side, I found a copy of A Sport and a Pastime, which I‘ve been wanting for awhile. Also two cool 1960s-era Nancy Drews.

Beautifully written. This was the first time I read James Salter and I will be adding more by him to my wish list at the library.

I got #sucked into kindle deals today and got these four, all already on my TBR list.

Read in 2015. Remember liking it, but don't remember what is was about.

I definitely #cantspeakfrench even though I did take French as a foreign language in high school...but I do love a good novel set on France. These are some recent reads. #melodicmay

I want to read these two just because of their gorgeous covers. Has anyone read these? #asportandapastime #jamessalter #thehidinglace #trezzaazzopardi

I have yet to read this.

It's been too hot to read much today, but at least I got to a used book sale! All these for $5 🤓😍☺️

It's Your Fave Is Problematic Day! (or week 😂) Both James Salter (top) and Saul Bellow (bottom) have birthdays today, and both are mid century writers whose work continues to be looked at through a necessary critical lens. But man, those sentences. I wish everyone would read Salter.

The narrative approach is fascinating and the writing is crisp and beautiful in its simplicity, but in stories like this I like getting into the heads of the characters, and that's just not what Salter was going for. Objectively, it's great; subjectively, it left a lot to be desired.