POLNAREFF'S FAVOURITE BOOK — 1967-1968: Diary of a Posh Schoolgirl

Nov 29

Nov 29 POLNAREFF'S FAVOURITE BOOK

"With the ruthlessness and calculation of his role model Napoleon, Julian Sorel  mounts a successful campaign to seduce  the wife of his employer" - Piers Paul Reid — *"With the ruthlessness and calculation of his role model Napoleon, Julian Sorel mounts a successful campaign to seduce the wife of his employer"* - Piers Paul Reid

W E D N E S D A Y, 2 9 N O V

Wore black corduroy skirt, navy polo jumper under white jumper, and black shoes hotted up with white bows.

Waiting for Miss Pick, Jacqui, Lucy and me were discussing hair. Jacqui said she adores my hair, the colour and everything!!! I think hers is lovely myself. It’s awfully nice to be paid compliments.

I’ve decided buffet lunches aren’t very good after all: we get exactly the same very day. So deadly.

Went home with Martha. I can’t think how she can rave over Robert, but she does. He seems such a weedy character to me. I like going home with Jenny best - though she's only 14 she's terribly nice, lively, but not over confident.

“She’s my type really - a music and Radio Caroline lover.”

Got home to find Mr Morris and Co. painting the inside of the house – the painter is back!!!

Daddy went to Amsterdam today to deliver the competition drawings. He came home with super bead bracelets for Ma, Chump and me, and those sticky waffley biscuits stroopwafels.

In the evening I looked at some of the stuff on French Lit. in the Encyclopaedia Britannica. I told Mummy about Polnareff’s favourite book being ‘Le Rouge et Le Noir,’ and she said, “oh, we’ve got that!” Pa said, “yes, don’t you remember the other day I told you about Stendhal? He’s a marvellous writer”! I spent the rest of the evening reading all about it. It was written in 1830 so I suppose it’s contemporary to ‘Pride and Prejudice’. They say it’s “a profane study of the impact of genius on a corrupt society” – superbly philosophical. Also, one of the central themes is the class war.

I’m sure it’s influenced Polnareff in his feelings about social classes. He became a beatnik because he wanted to get away from the middle-class world in which he’d been brought up. But it depresses me to hear about all the lovely books in the world when I’ll hardly be able to read any of them. It's bad enough being interested in English Lit, let alone French!