delayed gratification

I read once that some writers only have one novel in them; Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. Perhaps its nothing more than opportunity. Margaret Mitchell might have written and published more than Gone with the Wind if she hadn't been killed crossing a road when she was 48. I was a bit afraid that at 36 Zadie Smith had stopped at three. So this year I was relieved to find out NW would be released.

I don't read more than a handful of pages every couple of weeks. I know that once finished, it'll be a long time before I get another chance to luxuriate in a Zadie Smith novel. This is one of the very few times where I'm happy to delay gratification. 

You know what I like about her books? She writes like a true observer. Her writing is a product of someone who is in but also out. She's that chameleon girlfriend of yours who gets invited to all the parties by all types of people. She blends seamlessly but is still interesting; well-read, of course and up on current events and pop culture. She never dominates conversations but instead she has a knack for listening and listening hard; for seeing and seeing everything that you can't and don't want to. 

♥  Photos by Rob D on 35mm film ♥  Dress from Valley Girl ♥ 

♥  Photos by Rob D on 35mm and 120mm film  ♥ Dress from Sylvester ♥  Cardigan from Glassons ♥  Ring from Karen Walker Jewellery ♥