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I liked reading in my encyclopaedias about things I had read in other encyclopaedias. . . . It was a form of drug; it set me dreaming of some impossible future time when, in the middle of every kind of peace, I would start at the beginning of all subjects and devote my days and nights to study.

These words appear in Chapter 14, when Salim is nearing the end of his affair with Yvette. Salim has been spending more and more time with Raymond and Yvette at their house. But at this point, Salim has grown disenchanted with Raymond. He also harbors unflattering thoughts about Yvette, whom he sees as sharing in her husband’s failures. In the midst of this unstable time, Salim spends one evening reading encyclopedia entries. As the quotation recounts, Salim reads without direction. Instead, he thinks of this activity as an enjoyable form of provisional learning. That is, he wants to get a sense of various fields of knowledge that he might set out to master at some unknown point in the future. Despite the apparent joy Salim finds in this activity, his haphazard mode of reading reflects an aspect of his personality that typically causes him pain. In his life, as in his reading, Salim never pursues what he wants directly. Rather, he meanders or otherwise waits idly for his desires to materialize, then feels disappointed when they do not.

Proof that this scene of reading conceals a deep sense of disappointment comes when the sound of an approaching car interrupts Salim’s activity and Yvette appears in his room. Yvette’s unexpected visit initially cheers Salim, but an offhand comment suddenly sours his apparently good mood. He turns violent and beats Yvette. The suddenness with which Salim turns against Yvette may initially seem surprising. However, Salim’s rage becomes less unexpected when considered in light of how his haphazard approach to reading symbolizes his haphazard approach to life. Salim was already in a volatile mood when Yvette arrived, even if he didn’t know it yet. Although he projects his frustrations onto Yvette, Salim is fundamentally upset with his own inability to make clear decisions and hence his failure take responsibility for his lack of progress. Nor is this a new realization. He confided back in Chapter 6 that he was waiting for “an illumination” to appear and guide him to a good life. Still waiting now, and feeling held back by Yvette, Salim lashes out.

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