'Ridiculous Enough of Themselves'

Too much time spent Saturday in airports, airborne in a 737 and later in a restaurant. Good thing I packed Jules Renard's Journal 1887-1910 (trans. Theo Cuffe, selected and introduced by Julian Barnes, riverrun, 2020): “The indignation of satire is unnecessary. It is enough to show things as they are. They are ridiculous enough of themselves.” Renard is on the short list of people from the past I wish I could have spent time with. Charles Lamb picked Fulke Greville and Sir Thomas Browne.