This questionnaire – answered at two different times in Proust’s life – is featured, in an edited form, at the back of Vanity Fair magazine each month.
Here are my answers... then I hope my dear readers will indulge me by answering these questions as well.
Your most marked characteristic?
My intense love of harmonious surroundings and a romantic esthetic.
The qualities you most like in a man?
Compassion, humour and a strong libido (plus a big nose).
The qualities you most like in a woman?
Compassion and humour.
What do you most value in your friends?
Compassion and humour.
What is your principle defect?
A lack of self discipline
What is your favorite occupation?
Laughing in bed.
What is your dream of happiness?
To be a published author at last.
What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes?
To get lost in the little details.
What would you like to be?
A published author.
In what country would you like to live?
Where I am right now: Canada.
What is your favorite color?
Green.
What is your favorite flower?
White fresias.
What is your favorite bird?
English robin.
Who are your favorite prose writers?
George Eliot
Who are your favourite poets?
Shakespeare
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Jamie Fraser (The Outlander Novels….. rrrrRRRRrrr)
Who are your favorite heroines of fiction?
Lyra Belaqua (His Dark Materials), Claire Fraser (The Outlander Novels), Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice)
Who are your favorite composers?
Mahler, Mozart, Gershwin, Janáček
Who are your favorite painters?
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Wolf Khan, Ian Rotter, Tom Thompson
Who are your heroes in real life?
My parents.
Who are your favorite heroines of history?
Boudicca
What are your favorite names?
James, Blyth, Isidoro
What is it you most dislike?
Cruelty.
What historical figures do you most despise?
Stalin, Hitler, and the usual cast of soulless sods.
What event in military history do you most admire?
Lord Nelson’s victory over Napoleon. Mainly because of That Hamilton Woman with Vivien Leigh and Lawrence Olivier.
What reform do you most admire?
Hard to pick one, but being most concerned about those most vulnerable, I would have to say mental health reform in the last century.
What natural gift would you most like to possess?
I would love to play the piano.
How would you like to die?
In my sleep.
What is your present state of mind?
A bit grumpy from all these questions.
To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
My total lack of will power and also a propensity for judgmentalism. The former I embrace. The latter I am fighting.
What is your motto?
Free was I born and free shall I die. (Paraphrasing Carmen.)
6 comments:
I admire your choice of favourite composers.
My most recent outting with any of those composers was with Janacek's From the House of the Dead. Surprisingly filmic score. Not sure I would sit through it again in a hurry but it was brilliant produced, can't imagine it being done better. I love his other operas. I have little knowledge of his other music.
Hated my big nose until today.
Try String Quartet No. 1 (“Kreutzer Sonata”) and String Quartet No. 2 (“Intimate Letters”) – extremely passionate music.
Yes, a strong libido is essential. I see that you too like a "big nose!" Any particular length? :)
Ed ~ your nose is always splendid.
Mr. Stainforth ~ the CD is purchased and in my player as I type.
Lady of Loxley ~ I am a saucepot but always literal. In this instance I really do mean I like a big schnozz. ;)
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