By turns funny, revealing, glib, and moving, these short essays and fragmentary observations offer a portrait of life in the shadow of death, written with the strength and fluency that never abandoned Hitchens, even in his final days.
Such fragmentary observations on the novel as those made by Dr. Johnson in conversation or by Jane Austen in her letters, or, in France, by Gustave Flaubert during the actual process of artistic gestation, have the charm and freshness of insight rather than the weight of true aesthetic judgment.
Although a detailed contemporary description of the Cuzco Corpus Christi is absent, the author makes good use of fragmentary observations of Spaniard views of indigenous participation, dismissive and fearful remarks hinting at a sense of subversiveness.
"We're basing things on fragmentary and incomplete observations," Laughlin says.
Although it is so fragmentary, each seemingly random observation builds on the last, and it really does feel like you've read something wholly original.
welter of fragmentary, confusing and inconclusive observations". Documents reported by Richard W. Pollay, curator of The History of Advertising Archives, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
Fragmentary humanity isn't humanity".
Fragmentary seal impressions are often difficult to interpret.
This observation is most likely due to fragmentary pedigree information (due to the decimation of this population in recent history) and is unlikely to represent an actual difference between the two groups.
Langguth capably juggles multiple fronts, diplomatic maneuvers, social observations and the eye-witness testimony, fragmentary but vivid, of lesser figures.
