As to the first part, yes, and very much so. As to the second, both complain about their roommate's choice of women:
"Prophet's beard, Donald, if I'd known you had a thing about dark meat I could have had my pick of --"
Only after this comment does Donald mention that all of Norman's women are Scandinavian, and advises him to try an Italian for a change "Frankly I think you're in a rut".
Norman later muses on his obsession with Scandinavians, and concludes:
"Allah be just to me, I'm a worse prisoner of historical circumstance than the oldest Red Guard in Peking!"
As far as I know we don't find out the cause of Donald's preference. In fact as the novel starts he isn't in a relationship (assuming that word can be used to describe this sort of thing) as he's rather pining for the last one, who is portrayed as the only truly independent woman ever to live in the apartment
no subject
As to the first part, yes, and very much so. As to the second, both complain about their roommate's choice of women:
"Prophet's beard, Donald, if I'd known you had a thing about dark meat I could have had my pick of --"
Only after this comment does Donald mention that all of Norman's women are Scandinavian, and advises him to try an Italian for a change "Frankly I think you're in a rut".
Norman later muses on his obsession with Scandinavians, and concludes:
"Allah be just to me, I'm a worse prisoner of historical circumstance than the oldest Red Guard in Peking!"
As far as I know we don't find out the cause of Donald's preference. In fact as the novel starts he isn't in a relationship (assuming that word can be used to describe this sort of thing) as he's rather pining for the last one, who is portrayed as the only truly independent woman ever to live in the apartment
William Hyde