“Taste,” George Hemphill thoughtfully explains, “is for interior designers. My job is about quality.”

In the third installment of Deepa Mehta’s Elements trilogy, the character is the story.

Alain de Botton is one of those authors I love to hate. The man is apparently a genius when it comes to writing fiction, as his last six novels can demonstrate, but that’s not reason enough. My personal tipping point for slipping into fond hatred from casual jealousy occurred about ten minutes ago when, while in the midst of doing some background research…

If there is one export the British are known for above all else, I would have to say it is their dry wit. A seemingly over-abundant natural resource, the British sense of humor is characterized by heavy use of irony, a mastery of timing and delivery, and a matter-of-fact tone that often escapes our less-refined American sensibilities. To put it more accurately, British wit is an acquired taste. But once acquired, it’s hard not to appreciate and equally difficult to avoid.