Another long-shot remember-me-this
April 21, 2023 3:46 PM Subscribe
I'm trying to remember a scene in a show or movie (or maaaaaybe a book), but my memories are so vague that I will be genuinely impressed if someone can pinpoint it for me. Are you up for the challenge, AskMe???
What I remember is a woman sadly recounting the story of how shortly after some horrible loss or trauma she was talking to some insensitive guy who may have been in love with her or otherwise wanted something from her, but he was carrying something (not flowers, nor an engagement ring) that as a result of the trauma was now horribly inappropriate, and how he realized that mid-conversation and tried to hide it from her, making everything even more horribly awkward. No idea of genre. No real sense of date, but think it would have been post-1950. Might be a literary adaptation; small chance it's just a book and I've conjured this woman's voice in my head. Think it would've been white English-speaking characters.
This may well not be an obscure work so much as an obscure memory. For a minute typing this up, I thought it might be The Secret History (not Bunny's letter to Julian, something else, which I guess would mean it was Camilla narrating an event), but a quick check didn't turn up anything obvious. Any ideas, AskMe?
What I remember is a woman sadly recounting the story of how shortly after some horrible loss or trauma she was talking to some insensitive guy who may have been in love with her or otherwise wanted something from her, but he was carrying something (not flowers, nor an engagement ring) that as a result of the trauma was now horribly inappropriate, and how he realized that mid-conversation and tried to hide it from her, making everything even more horribly awkward. No idea of genre. No real sense of date, but think it would have been post-1950. Might be a literary adaptation; small chance it's just a book and I've conjured this woman's voice in my head. Think it would've been white English-speaking characters.
This may well not be an obscure work so much as an obscure memory. For a minute typing this up, I thought it might be The Secret History (not Bunny's letter to Julian, something else, which I guess would mean it was Camilla narrating an event), but a quick check didn't turn up anything obvious. Any ideas, AskMe?
Glad we could help.
I had never read the book or seen the movie. I just watched the 7 minute clip. Definitely going to consume this either in writing or video. Thanks for asking the question.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:17 PM on April 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
I had never read the book or seen the movie. I just watched the 7 minute clip. Definitely going to consume this either in writing or video. Thanks for asking the question.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:17 PM on April 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I would recommend trying the movie first. The book is from James's notoriously difficult late phase; the film is a fairly successful impressionistic mood vamp on it.
posted by praemunire at 9:49 PM on April 21, 2023
posted by praemunire at 9:49 PM on April 21, 2023
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posted by praemunire at 5:41 PM on April 21, 2023 [4 favorites]