an always within never

"So here is my profound thought for the day: this is the first time I have met someone who seeks out people and who sees beyond. That may seem trivial but I think it is profound all the same. We never look beyond our assumptions and, what's worse, we have given up trying to meet others; we just meet ourselves. We don't recognize each other because other people have become our permanent mirrors. If we actually realized this, if we were to become aware of the fact that we are only ever looking at ourselves in the other person, that we are alone in the wilderness, we would go crazy."

_Paloma Josse in "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" by Muriel Barbery_

i picked up this book because of two reasons: one, i like books that are set in Paris; and two, because i heard that this was the book that Sofia Coppola is adapting for her next film. despite a slower start, it turns into one of the most charming and gratifying books i've read in awhile. if the film turns out half as good as this brillantly heartbreaking story is, it will still be a film worth your while.


*the giantess* bombay bicycle club