this is how you lose her

“On both visits, the men ate their fill, congratulated Mami on her cooking, Papi on his sons, and then stayed about an hour for propriety’s sake.”

—JUNOT DÍAZ, THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE HER

Why it’s beautiful

In one sentence, I’m time traveling through two dinners: beginning, middle, and end. And even with so few words, I get the vibe of both encounters. Polite, but somewhat distanced.

I also love the rhetorical ellipsis (the omission) in the phrase “Papi on his sons.” It’s not “congratulated Papi on his sons” or “Mami on her cooking and Papi on his sons.” It’s tighter this way.