All Goofed Up

My usual homebody Saturday got all goofed up today in a good way. I slept in until 8 which for me is quite late. Then my Bookman and I met a couple of friends for brunch. Yum. Not long after that I followed my Bookman to work (his) to do some shopping. It was nice to see his bookstore crowded (well not technically his bookstore, since he doesn't own it, but he is the store manager). During my shopping I availed myself of a peppermint mocha. They are like candy canes in a cup of hot chocolate coffee. Yum yum. I tried not to shop for myself or look too carefully at books I might be interested in because I wouldn't want to spoil a gift wrapped surprise. Still, I managed to buy two books for myself. To my growing collection of unread classics I add The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. And to my collection of books about books and reading I add The 100 Most Influential Books Ever Written by Martin Seymour-Smith. That should be fun to peruse. While browsing I became enamored of Harold Bloom's book Where Shall Wisdom Be Found?. He has some interesting things to say about Montaigne. It is difficult to read when being jostled by people in big coats and with holiday music playing overhead, so I didn't get far before I put the book down and promised I'd come back for it another day. I am usually not a Bloom fan, I am prejudiced against him because of his Western Canon book. I have never read the book but heard much about it. And when it came out, I was also not long out of college where, at least at my school, the canonical debates were raging. I was anti-canon and still am to certain extent, so I thought Bloom a pompous weenie who was against the study of books by women and minorities. As a result I have stayed clear of him. But my prejudice is beginning to melt, especially after reading his introduction to Don Quixote earlier this year. Plus I am realizing that my own prejudice is unreasonable since I have never read any of his books. I have also read some good things about Wisdom and he includes Montaigne in it. And I have become rather fond of Montaigne. So I'm thinking I should give Bloom a chance before I indelibly brand him as a weenie forever and ever. Speaking of Montaigne, since my homebody day was goofed up, my weekly Montaigne essay has been postponed until tomorrow.