Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Cherry Blossoms and Tolstoy

While out running in Tompkins Square Park this morning I noticed the first of the cherry blossoms tentatively bursting out. This is about a week to ten day earlier than normal, attributable no doubt to our warm and rainy winter. And having just finished reading two thick biographies -- of Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow and of Iris Murdoch by Peter Conradi -- followed by a quick palate cleanser -- Dark Voyage, the only Alan Furst novel I hadn't read -- the arrival of the cherry blossoms struck me as the perfect time of year to begin reading War and Peace.

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