SECOND STAR

A French author meditates on the simple pleasures of life.

In the translator’s note, Gladding writes, “these pieces are drawn from The Troubled Waters of the Mojito and The Ecstasy of the Selfie, the most recent collections of…Delerm’s ‘literary snapshots,’ a genre he invented over two decades ago and still uniquely represents.” Throughout this collection of lighthearted vignettes, the author invites readers to slow down and cherish moments—e.g., getting caught in a rain shower, eating a clementine one-handed, and dancing as if no one is watching, “making peace with your body.” Delerm also explores the serenity that comes from folding sheets, the brightness to be found in washing windows, and the calmness that arrives when you hold a physical book in your hand. “In essence,” writes the author, “it holds a promise of solitude, retreat, silence.” Other elements of everyday life take on a darker tone, such as the self-destructive nature of vaping, the drama associated with achieving the perfect selfie, the isolation of using a smartphone, the impatience that can arise from waiting at a restaurant, and the agitation that comes from losing memories to Alzheimer’s. Of one such person, the author writes, “She’ll remember that she lost something, she won’t know what. They say it’s hell. But there isn’t a word for it.” Delerm examines many intimate moments in life, such as the expressions of ecstasy that desserts can elicit or the joy of bouncing a baby in your arms. The author also contemplates the regional joys of France and Italy, including viewing a Michel Bouquet play from the third balcony, watching tango dancers near the Seine, and observing summer tourists gather at the San Giacomo fountain in Venice. Although the text feels disjointed, perhaps necessarily so, Delerm’s brief observations allow readers to dip in and out, offering moments of reflection and contemplation as time permits.

Brief, tender instruction on how to stop and smell the roses.