21 February

There is such an enormous gap between literature and actual people.... one can delve into the world with the most fantastic intentions after reading, say, The Awakening, or Atonement; the world, however, shows itself to be much less high-minded and intellectual: teenagers do not discuss life and philosophy from the cool hard stone of Victorian windowsills, but from Facebook chat windows prattle about boyfriends and frat parties. It is so, it is so.