Whatever an Amberson did seemed right to her

It was Isabel’s great failing that whatever an Amberson did seemed right to her, especially if the Amberson was either her brother George, or her son George.

in The Magnificent Ambersons por Booth Tarkington

Todos gostavam de Tarkington, sociável, generoso, divertido

A mãe de Booth Tarkington estava determinada A que o filho frequentasse Princeton e, passado um ano abandonou a Purdue University.

Em Princeton, Tarkington não só evoluiu, descobriu-se a si próprio. Tornou-se editor de três publicações universitárias, escrevia, encenava e interpretava papéis na Dramatic Association, que se viria a transformar no famoso Triangle Club, desenhava constantemente e até considerou percorrer uma carreira nas artes.

Todos gostavam de Tarkington, sociável, generoso, divertido, tornou-se um dos alunos mais populares. Anos mais tarde, ao recordar os anos universitários, descreveu-os assim: 

It never rained! It was always sunshine—then!

This town never did see so much style as Ambersons are putting on

This town never did see so much style as Ambersons are putting on, these days; and I guess it’s going to be expensive, because a lot of other folks’ll try to keep up with ’em.

in The Magnificent Ambersons por Booth Tarkington

To save, even for the sake of saving, was their earliest lesson and discipline

The pioneers were thrifty or they would have perished: they had to store away food for the winter, or goods to trade for food, and they often feared they had not stored enough —they left traces of that fear in their sons and grandsons. In the minds of most of these, indeed, their thrift was next to their religion: to save, even for the sake of saving, was their earliest lesson and discipline.

No matter how prosperous they were, they could not spend money either upon “art,” or upon mere luxury and entertainment, without a sense of sin.

in The Magnificent Ambersons por Booth Tarkington

Os Tarkingtons nem sempre foram uma família convencional

Os Tarkingtons nem sempre foram uma família convencional.

Há um acontecimento caricato em que se descobriu que o jovem Booth andava a faltar às aulas há dois meses sem que os pais se apercebessem do facto. Castigos? Absolutamente nenhuns. Sermão? Nem uma palavra.

Os pais simplesmente decidiram enviá-lo para a Phillips Exeter Academy, que frequentou até entrar na Purdue University.

They had time for everything: time to think, to talk, time to read, time to wait for a lady!

In the days before deathly contrivances hustled them through their lives, and when they had no telephones —another ancient vacancy profoundly responsible for leisure —they had time for everything: time to think, to talk, time to read, time to wait for a lady!

in The Magnificent Ambersons por Booth Tarkington

The Magnificent Ambersons, as primeiras páginas são cheias de vida

Comecei a ler The Magnificent Ambersons de Booth Tarkington e as primeiras páginas são cheias de vida.

Transportam-nos para uma cidade do Midwest sem nome, talvez seja Indianapolis, a cidade onde o autor cresceu e viveu a maior parte da sua vida.

As ruas são animadas, cheias de humanidade, e a cada página conseguimos ouvir as vozes, os ruídos, admirar a arquitectura, espreitar pelas janelas abertas das casas. E em plena descrição do que nos rodeia, inicia-se uma retrospectiva da história dos Ambersons, de como se tornaram magnificentes.

Sick people were got to windows to see it go by

In that town, in those days, all the women who wore silk or velvet knew all the other women who wore silk or velvet, and when there was a new purchase of sealskin, sick people were got to windows to see it go by.

in The Magnificent Ambersons por Booth Tarkington