Prélude

I used to love literature classes at school. I adored Romanticism, hated Naturalism, and loved everything about *les Lumières*. There was something liberating about Enlightenment philosophy. In one of his books, Diderot writes: “Man is born for pleasure: he feels it, and he seeks its enjoyment.”

The discovery of my own (hyper)sexuality came to me the same way the Enlightenment drove its message of change to 18th-century French society – through the pages of censored books that made the bold claim of desire being natural.

Yet, the art of daily reading is now lost to me. You know how it goes. Time passes, life gets complicated, and all of a sudden you’re reading only for school and then only for work. All business, no pleasure.

Today, I’ve been enlightened. I have come to realise I want to live a life of pleasure – and I don’t just mean sin – I mean lounging in silk robes, reading a good book just for fun, staying offline as much as possible, and trying out spas where my body can fully rest and relax. (And yes, I do mean sinning, too.)

Consider this an open invitation to join me on this cathartic journey of serious unwinding. I’ll be here, relaxing my body in every way possible and adding books to my list.

À vous de jouer

-gabrielle