Status Updates From مرة في العمر

"'I am saying that Laroche's wife was sick, mentally sick. She was an hysterical woman when he married her, and she should never have had any children. She never fully recovered after their son was born.'" (169) an hysterical? what is this, Jane Eyre?

"Like his son, he was wearing denims, but instead of a shirt he had on a sleeveless waistcoat that exposed the powerful muscles of his arms." (91) what. A sleeveless...waistcoat??? Instead of a shirt? What?

"'I don't think we have anything to say to one another—Comte!' she declared coldly, but this time her eyes fell before the grim penetration of his." (66) grim penetration

"'And of course you'll grow. We all do. Just remember, it's better to be too slim than too fat." (56) ah, 1977 (and also 2020)

"'You're not a bit like—Mummy, I mean—you've never shown any interest in getting married or having a family, have you? But I expect you've known heaps of men...'
'You make me sound like a selfish bitch!' remarked Harriet, her smile hiding the pain the child's words had unknowingly infected." (29) what