La Muselivre

Time Warner earlier this week agreedto sell its publishing arm—with imprints such as Little, Brown and Warner Books—to Lagardère, a French media company, for about $537 million.

In some ways, it's a natural fit. Like the French, book editors enjoy languorous lunches and batting ideas around. Like the French, some U.S. publishers and editors (viz. l'affaire Frey) seem to have adopted Derrida-esque attitudes toward the nature of truth. The French work 35-hour weeks. Ditto for publishers. France is a one-time giant that, having lost its status in the world, is fighting a rear-guard action against 21^st-century capitalism. Check. 

Dommage que les trente-cinq heures par semaine n'existent que dans la tête de ceux qui les conspuent. Je suis sûre que mes patronnes qui doivent facilement faire du 45 heure par semaine aimeraient tenter l'expérience. Mais bon, parresseuse, menteuse et française comme je suis, qui me croira ?