--One of several books required for my Russian History class this term. This book has been my nemesis, and it just so happens to be due tomorrow. I couldn't find it in the bookstore at the beginning of term, so I assumed they would order more copies of it. This was putting a little too much faith in the textbook department, which is notoriously short on required copies of books. So I went to Barnes and Noble. No luck. I went to the BYU library. Checked out. The Provo Library. Sorry. The Orem library. I wish. I looked online for a digital copy. There is no such thing.
Then in despair, I bowed my head.
"There's no such book on Earth!" I said.
"But wait," I thought,
"The book I've sought
May yet be borrowed from a friend..."

And it just so happened that, remembering that a Russian History classmate was in the building around the corner from me, I paid her a visit and providentially obtained the dratted book. Hurray! It was actually an entertaining read, though a little scandalous for BYU I must say.

The main character is a writer in the USSR and only writes about decent, heroic people who sacrifice themselves for the welfare of the state. Anyway, his writing isn't all that good, as might be expected, though he compares himself favorably to the glorious Chekhov.

Anyway, to make a long story short, the Writer's Union is giving out fur hats to its members, with reindeer fawn hats to the very best, marmot to the next best, muskrat to the lesser writers, and rabbit to the rank and file. Our hero, wanting his deserved reindeer hat, or at least marmot, goes to the office, and instead of reindeer, is brushed aside with a hat not even made out of rabbit, but of tomcat. The rest of our book has our hero out seeking his revenge, which involves mental instability, biting someone, and having a stroke. Through apparently random events he is finally awarded a reindeer hat, and then being vindicated, dies promptly. Just in case you were wondering.

In other news news, I have obtained three more of my twenty textbooks today, bringing the total up to four. One of the books had the words "Thank you!" written all over its box and on the invoice inside. Apparently a used bookstore in South Dakota really appreciated my business. My most exciting textbook, my Novum Testamentum Greek and Latin side-by-side edition has yet to appear, but its time will come. Meanwhile, I will content myself with the English version.

I'm looking at this blog thinking that it deserves better, having lain abandoned for almost a year. We'll see if we can't wipe the dust off and get it going again, just in time for the new school year.