Friday, April 3, 2009

Quote of the Day

"Now she entered the church depressed and humiliated, not even able to remember whether it was built by the Franciscans or the Dominicans. Of course, it must be a wonderful building. But how like a barn! And how very cold! Of course, it contained frescoes by Giotto, in the presence of whose tactile values she was capable of feeling what was proper. But who was to tell her which they were? She walked about disdainfully, unwilling to be enthusiastic over monuments of uncertain authorship or date. There was no one even to tell her which, of all the sepulchral slabs that paved the nave and transepts, was the one that was really beautiful, the one that had been most praised by Mr. Ruskin.

Then the pernicious charm of Italy worked on her, and, instead of acquiring information, she began to be happy."

(E.M. Forster, A Room With A View)

2 comments:

Aimz said...

That sounds like my kind of book.

tattrldy said...

Isn't that like a lot of us? Come in with expectations of what we should see or experience instead of just feeling it? I like your quote.