november11–24, 2019 | newyork 97
...LISTENTO
theaudioversionof
SheSaidnexttimeyou
have9.9 hoursandthe
urgetobethrilledby
aninvestigative-
journalism
procedural?
...TRIPON
high-qualitymushrooms
minusthequeasysideef fects
withBecomingAnimal,a
comboplatterofecology,
philosophy, andart history?
the book—scented with “Italian citrus, ancient
gardens in Rome filled with pine trees, and linen
bedsheets.” Of course, I drenched myself before
cracking open the book; like everyone else, I’m a
sucker for a gift. I’m olfactorily challenged, and all
perfumes smellthesametome(like “perfume”),
but I believeI isolated
notes of hotelpillow
and leafy enclosure.
I have notpreviously
been swayedbyAci-
man’s books—nothis
fault, probablymine—
but this onefunctioned
like a medical-grade
SADlampinthedead
of February. It is a lively
novel aboutsentimen-
ta l AmericansinItaly
who feel a widerrange
of emotionsinsevenminutesthanmost people
do in a month.Eliois a pianisthavinganaffair
with an olderman.Hisfather,a philologist, falls
in love witha chickona train.Oliveris a mar-
ried professorinNewEnglandwitha roving
eye. If you havereadthebook’santecedent,you
won’t be surprisedthatthesemenintertwinein
enchantingways.Is thebooka littlecorny?It
is. Did I mind?I didnot.However,you’ll need
a decent toleranceforthewordlovertoenjoyit.
Tokyo Fiancée
BY AMÉLIE NOTHOMB
(FICTION, 2009)
➽herewehavea slim
andwickedlovestory
writtenbya slimand
wickedBelgianwoman.
Hubba-hubba.Theau-
thor, AmélieNothomb,
writesinFrenchand
spentpartofherchild-
hoodasthedaughter
ofa diplomatinJapan,
wherethisnoveltakes
place.Most ofNoth-
omb’s books havea density of fascinatingcharacters
and social observationsandbrightlittletwistsof the
verbal knife onevery page. In thisone,a character
named Amélie(hmm...)teachesprivateFrench
lessonsin Tokyo,whereshemeets a wealthy student
namedRinriwhocaptivatesherwithhis sensitivity
andpropriety.Together,they cruisearoundinhis
whiteMercedes,takingritualbathsinthesnow,
settingoff fireworks(actualaswellasmetaphori-
cal),anddiningoncephalopods.Thereisn’t a single
superfluouswordin thewholetext—Irereadto find
one,justforfun.Nothing.Nothombis prolific to the
pointwhereit seemslikea kindofdisease,writ-
ingmultiplenovelsina
ye arandpublishing,on
average,oneofthem.
(Therest go ina draw-
er,I guess.) Shealsoap-
pearsont l
herbooks ,
a floppyha e
wasnameda b s
byKingPhilippe l-
gium,whichrefle ll
onhistasteinliterature.
SUGGESTED
PAIRING
Pairthepicante work
ofPhoebe Waller-Bridge
(Fleabag, Crashing)
withthesabroso work of
Oyinkan Braithwaite.
✔ riyl:
❏ Lawrence
Osborne
❏ Overeating
dessert
❏ Merchant
Ivory movies
❏ Embracing
hedonisminthe
face of a
meaningless
world
✔riyl:
❏Eve Babitz
❏Weezer’s
Pi
❏El ndy
❏Ha
“si drink”
❏G
wa ne
...NIBBLE ON
TheInvisibility
Cloak,a 144-page
novelabout a guy
whodesigns sound
systemsinBeijing
and has thoughts
like “Everyone has an
inner life, but it’s best
if we leave it alone”?
WH Y DON’T YOU ...
...TRY
TheIncestDiary,if you
liketheideaof“Lolita
butif Sophocleswroteit
in 201 7”?(Note:NC-17.)
... FEASTON
Ecstasy andTerror,by
DanielMendelsohn,
the work of a critic in
the prime of his brain?
+
PHOTOGRAPH: PAUL BRUINOOGE/PATRICK MCMULLAN (WALLER-BRIDGE)
