Catching up on 18th century literature (if one can catch up with a century of literature…): finished Diderot’s Le neveu de Rameau and Jacques le fataliste. Both in a Dutch translation.

I don’t know. Some people consider these 2 books by Diderot as favorites — because of the humour, the richness of ideas, hopping from one subject to another, because of the investigative attitude, the rationalism (not in a pejorative sense) for which nothing is holy. For the total negation of all ‘fundamentalism’ & dogmatism. But I don’t know. I admire these books, I read them with full interest — but sometimes I began to long for more thoroughness, less humourful wit. A theme or idea that is more fully represented, and not just dismissed after a while with a funny remark. Hmm, more, euhh, seriousness?

Just a personal remark re Diderot. As if it matters.

Could one draw a parallel between Diderot’s age (full of changes, also in the ‘writing industry’) & this internet age? A parallel between Diderot’s way of writing & style and the sort of wittyness that works in blogs? Writing in a conversational manner about anything that comes to mind — new music, theatre, acting, sincerity, politics, earning one’s living, metaphors, philosophers…

Hmm, maybe not.

(Maybe it’s just that Diderot doesn’t fit my sense of humour. My sense of humour tends to the banal — hence my love for Joyce?)