The evening and the morning - K. Follett

One already knows what to expect when reading a book by Ken Follett. È l’idea del patto narrativo di cui mi parlò l’Ing. Bottone secoli addietro¹: i personaggi buoni sono buonibuonibuoni, i personaggi cattivicattivicattivi, so you can just sit back, watch the story unfold - e senza grossi scossoni -, take a look at the historical setting in passing. It’s relaxing.

The bottom line of these books, if one is to be found, is that 1. Le pulsioni umane rimangono più o meno unverändert nel corso della storia, 2. Queste stesse pulsioni umane drive history, both on a small and large scale. The technology and living conditions usw. might well change, but that’s just cosmetic, it’s just a distraction. It helps, it may be important, but it’s not the primus movens, e su questo non bisogna lasciarsi ingannare.

I saved this one line:

As a newcomer he was trying to fit in, not stand out.

I liked the in/out contraposition, and I also thought it was a good point. I also learned an useful verb: guffaw. I’m not sure I’m going to use it that often, though.