Friday, February 22, 2013

Nabokov in the mail


There's always something nostalgic when you receive something by post. It's as if that letter or parcel you're holding is an homage to a romantic age, when people still took the effort to get hold of a pen and paper, write something, and  go out of their way to mail it. I can't even remember the last time I received something from the mailman which aren't bills.

So it's quite a pleasant surprise when you get that notification that you have a parcel to be claimed from the post office. Although I must admit that I don't look forward to trips to the post office. The whole place just looks sad. The last time I was there, I noticed the crumbling walls, dark alleys, old, musty smells. And it doesn't help that the post office employees can be rude. When I went there yesterday, it's the same thing: rude and bored employees and everything.

The trip was definitely worth it though. I got a Nabokov! It's been a while since I last read a novel by him. I do recall enjoying Lolita and his collected short stories. And The Eye is a novella, perfect for whiling away those lazy weekend afternoons.



The book and the Far Side cartoon strips all came from Andy. I met him when I was in Bangkok last year for a business trip. He was the one who convinced me to try out 1Q84, which somehow became the novel that we're reading along in our book club. Thanks, A! See you again soon!

So it's true: brown paper packages are one of my favorite things.

10 comments:

Stepford Mum said...

I'm a regular fixture at our post office, sending and receiving parcels of books monthly. It is sad that they don't allocate any budget for the buildings' maintenance, particularly the parcel sections, since people still do send those frequently. Last December, I got there in the middle of a very sad meeting - most of the staff were being let go due to lack of funds and a general slowdown in business. What a shame.

Peter S. said...

Oh, that's really heartbreaking! I think that's true everywhere. In the US, they're stopping the Saturday service of the US Post Office.

Phioxee said...

ay totoo. i prefer sending mails on postal than emails. pero appreciate ko pa rin yan. marami akong online friends na nagbibigayan kami ng address. at nagbibigayan din ng letters. me halong trust kasi pag nagbibigay ka ng home address diba.

Peter S. said...

You're lucky to have such good friends, Phioxee!

ram said...

tama.,i still considered the effort of writing and mailing,and brown paper or enveloped are my favorites,i can feel their recycle mode,.

Peter S. said...

True, true! Woot woot for Earth warriors!

Louize DG said...

Yay, Ingit much! I love receiving mails and parcels too. My foreign friends and I have this 'bookmark exchange' going for some time. I'm always excited to receive one, especially if there's a note enclosed. Wish we could do a 'book exchange' sometime.

So, it's really sad that in this Internet age, sending and receiving via post has been such a rarity. Maybe that's the same reason for the post office employees' (in the country) patented drab look. hehehe

Peter S. said...

We should totally do a book exchange thing!

jay-p said...

Interesting. Nabokov, I loved and hated Lolita. Your blog made me want to read again.

Peter S. said...

Hi, jay-p. Maybe you'll enjoy it when you reread it!