Tuesday, June 22, 2010


Sarah and I have been watching episodes of 'South Park' in bed on her laptop each night before we go to sleep. All of the seasons are on Netflix Watch Instantly, so it's easy. From the beginning, episode by episode. It appeals to the pop culture completist in me (I've never seen EVERY episode, but now I will). Sarah doesn't share this attitude, so if she gets bored with an episode, like, say, the one that's just a series of funny Christmas Carols, she'll yell, "NEXT!" and push the "Next Episode" button.

Near the end of season four there's an episode where they retell the story of Charles Dickens' 'Great Expectations.'

Sarah: This one is boring me. I think we should skip it.
Me: I'm fine with that. I just want to see what Miss Havisham looks like first.
Sarah: Miss Havisham?
Me: Yeah. She's a pretty big literary character. An old woman who was left at the alter on her wedding day... or maybe the guy died... I don't remember. Anyway, she goes crazy and spends the rest of her life in her wedding dress, and her room stays just the way it was that day even though the cake gets moldy and disgusting. A crazy old woman in a wedding dress.
Sarah: Wow. [pause] I never read 'Great Expectations.'
Me: I just read it in high school.

One of Sarah's prize possessions is a collection of the complete works of Charles Dickens which sits on a shelf in our apartment.

Sarah: When my grandparents moved into a smaller place and needed to get rid of some things, they were the only thing I wanted. I thought I was going to have to fight for them, but it turns out no one else wanted them. I have to admit, I've never read any of them.
Me: I find it more fun to talk about Dickens than to read him, honestly.
Sarah: I started one but never finished it.

We never finished the 'South Park' adaptation of 'Great Expectations' either.

Sarah: NEXT! [pushes button] Oh... the next one's called 'Fat Camp.' That sounds like more our speed.

1 comment:

Arnie said...

Sarah: [looking at this picture] Oh... so I have 'Great Expectations'?
Me: Yeah... it is a complete collection.
Sarah: ... I don't really know if it's complete or not. It might just be a lot of them.
Me: Well you've been telling me for years that it's a complete collection.