One of the neighbors next to the Cognac apartment was a constitutional lawyer who has now retired. While we’ve never been inside, her apartment was literally overflowing with dusty books and documents on French law. How do we know this? Because over the past year, she has boxed up thousands of these books and left them on the common landing until someone eventually removed them.
Two big boxes appeared again last week. I was curious and intrigued. What could one do with the Parliamentary updates from 1974 onwards, when all of this information is now accessible and indexed on line today? Or Divorce Law in the Congo (in French)? Or Legal Rights Among Minorities in Hungary? Hum … not exactly a big audience out there. I quietly sorted through the boxes and made several piles. Then I braced myself and tore off the covers (it’s so hard to do that to books!) and tied them with ribbon to decorate shelves.
I gave a set to one of our new owners in Paris who joked that she might even read them, but mostly would enjoy the effect in her new living room!