ATD: p. 734

[kelber at mindspring.com]

Here's something that jarred me both times I read it:

ATD (p. 734):

"They ate a polenta with squid in squid ink, and a zuppa di peoci that couldn't be beat."

"A" polenta? Why not "They ate polenta..."? This use of the indefinite article might be a translation from the Italian. He may just be putting this in for atmosphere.  But would TRP have said:  "a spaghetti with meatballs"?  This is the voice of the narrator speaking, the same voice that, on the next page says:  

"Wasn't as if they'd ever had the time to get creatively lost in this maze of calli, was it ...."

My own reaction to this was that TRP was lapsing into the present-day Yuppie-restaurant-speak, with which, in his UWS neighborhood, he must be bombarded on a frequent basis ("Tonight's special is a polenta with a squid ink sauce ...").

If I recall, there are a number of other places where he does this in the book.  

Laura

PS- I'm going to have a brown rice with a provocative topping of chili for lunch.