A fun book I recently picked up in Mexico City: Maximimas minimas de Maximiliano, [the sayings of Maximilian, 1851-1862] with a prologue by Fernando del Paso. (By the way, my translation of an excerpt from Fernando del Paso's epic novel, Noticias del imperio, appears in Mexico: A Traveler's Traveler's Companion.) Here's a sampling (my translation) from the Maximas minimas:~It is not good to contemplate great men from up close: as we approach the light, the darker the shadows, and when we become accustomed to this, we are no longer dazzled.
~Fear and ambition are the motors that turn the wheel of the world.
~May your spirit be made of steel, your heart pure gold, your soul a diamond.
Click here for more about Maximilian.
