16 October 2009

Skip this one if you're queasy

Last night I went to see "God of Carnage" on Broadway, a vicious but grand piece of work about two couples who meet to discuss a a fight their offstage sons have had. There's a scene near the beginning where (spoiler, naturally) Hope Davis' character, having commented on Marcia Gay Harden's collection of coffee-table art books, very suddenly -- and realistically -- vomits all over them and the table they sit on. As soon as Davis and her husband (Jeff Daniels) have gone to the bathroom Harden turns to James Gandolfini and says in high dudgeon, "I can't believe she puked on my books!"

Davis' performance is the best part of the play, and not just because I have no idea how they pulled that off. But if there is such an incident of destruction in my past, I have certainly blocked it out. What's the worst thing you've ever done to a book?

1 comment:

Elizabeth said...

I've just lost a few books. I left one in a movie theater; I lost another one (a library book, no less!) I don't know where.