Netherland: Thoughts on Hans

I was just flipping through Netherland and wanted to share a couple things that I had marked.

I think this is what makes me sympathetic to Hans...

p.82-83 "Perhaps the relevant truth--and it's one whose existence was apparent to my wife, and I'm sure to much of the world, long before it became apparent to me--is that we all find ourselves in temporal currents and that unless you're paying attention you'll discover, often too late, that an undertow of weeks or of years has pulled you deep into trouble."

I loved his description of the DMV on the following page (which is so true!)...

p 85 "Two of the, women in their thirties, screamed with laughter by a photocopying machine, but as soon as they reached their positions at the counter they wore faces of sullen hostility. One could understand why, for assembled before them was a perpetually reinforced enemy, its troops massing relentlessly on the hard pew-like benches. Many of those seated were hunched forward with hands clasped and heads bowed, raising their eyes only to follow the stupendous figures..."

And then there was a line I really loved, but I can't find the paper I wrote it on... Hm. I'll be back.