Fritz and Wilhelmine: Reading and music are definitely better than sex.
AW: Heinrich, help me out here.
Heinrich: Well. What I think is... why does it have to be either/or? It's the combination which truly provides the highest pleasure, like, say, listening to a wonderful piece of music played by a superb cellist and then having sex with the cellist. Or sharing a great new book by taking turns to read it out loud to each other, followed by sex in a good friend's old and new appartment.
Fritz: This wishy washy compromise stuff is why I am King and you're not.
Heinrich: Come to think of it, reading out loud Voltaire's trashy memoirs while adding my personal comments also counts as a pleasure of the highest order. Without any sexual acts involved at all. So yes, reading wins.
Re: AW readthrough
AW: Heinrich, help me out here.
Heinrich: Well. What I think is... why does it have to be either/or? It's the combination which truly provides the highest pleasure, like, say, listening to a wonderful piece of music played by a superb cellist and then having sex with the cellist. Or sharing a great new book by taking turns to read it out loud to each other, followed by sex in a good friend's old and new appartment.
Fritz: This wishy washy compromise stuff is why I am King and you're not.
Heinrich: Come to think of it, reading out loud Voltaire's trashy memoirs while adding my personal comments also counts as a pleasure of the highest order. Without any sexual acts involved at all. So yes, reading wins.