Have you ever read this book? I loved it. It’s unlike any other I’ve read—the story grabs you from the first line to the last. I haven’t read anything else by Patrick Süskind, but I think they made a movie adaptation.

Katia, an ex-friend of mine, told me about it. She’s a French girl I used to know. This line sounds like the title of a song. I say “ex” because I’m not sure if we’re still friends or not.

She’s a French intellectual—so, naturally, a hardcore leftist. I’ve moved away from that ideology, and now I’m pretty much persona non grata. Strange how the people with ‘Coexist’ bumper stickers often seem the least tolerant of differing views.