Revolt in the Seraglio

I read Montesquieu's Persian Letters halfway through high school.

The novel describes the journey of two Persians across Europe
and their stay in Paris. One of them, a wealthy nobleman,
sets off west for learnings - which are to be useful to him
after returning to the country.

Both report on their impressions in letters

sent to relatives in Persia. The magnetic impact of Europe, however,
means that two Asians are prolonging their stay for years;
at that time in the harem of one of them - in Isfahan -
there is a rebellion …

I read the Montesquieu's book extracurricularly,

because it was not a school reading at the time... In turn -
my high school homework, in the field of exact sciences,
I was copying from a colleague living nearby;
he was copying my homework in humanities.

After learnings, we were fighting in fierce chess duels,

sometimes prolonged to two days.
In a cloud of tobacco smoke I was arranging variants of chess strategy
like Montesquieu - the fate of his literary figures.

MMXVIII