“We Tolstoy virgins know that the bearded one justly perches near the top of our lifelong reading list, yet somehow the right time is never quite right to rise to the occasion.”

Here’s to you, Stephen Emms of the Guardian, for not only hipping me to this wonderful phrase that by all means should not exist, but also reminding me that there was a film version of Anna Karenina starring Gretta Garbo put out in the 30’s.