"... the man belonged to that extraordinary class of readers who have perfect literary digestions, who can devour anything printed, retaining what suits them, eliminating what does not, and liking all impartially because, since they take what they want from each, they are always actually reading the same book (she had a cousin who was like that about the theatre, and she remembered how her aunt used to complain, saying, 'It's no use asking Cousin Florence whether the show at the stock company is any good this week; Cousin Florence has never seen a bad play') ..."
From The Company She Keeps
I've come down with some species of lurgy so my analytical faculties aren't up to scratch at all today, but I think the first part of that passage - on 'perfect literary digestion' - presents an interesting idea, and one I'd never thought of in quite those terms. As to the bit about 'always actually reading the same book', I don't quite get that. Any thoughts?
