A collection of 13 short stories which offer a humorous study of humanity. The subject matter ranges from a tale of adultery to an analysis of self-doubt and a story on the banality of existence.
Quando le cronache ufficiali descrissero l’impresa di Noè, sorvolarono su una serie di episodi poco edificanti che, se fossero stati rivelati, avrebbero potuto ridimensionare il valore mitico dell’epopea. Nessuno, però, sapeva che un animaletto, salito a bordo da clandestino, era stato testimone di quei retroscena non proprio eroici, e aveva deciso di raccontarli. Come si conclusero i processi ecclesiastici celebrati nella Francia medievale contro quei tarli accusati di avere rosicchiato gli arredi sacri? Che cosa capitò a Spike Tiggler, l’astronauta che, dopo aver portato un pallone sulla luna, svelò il mistero del Monte Ararat? E quale fine fece l’unicorno che godeva di cosí tante attenzioni da parte della moglie di Noè? Rimbalzando di continuo tra epoche e situazioni diverse, Julian Barnes ripercorre le grandezze e le follie dell’umanità, lanciando una sfida ambiziosa alla fantasia del lettore: immaginare un mondo completamente nuovo.
Born for Love: Reflections on Loving is a collection of short, poignant thoughts and inspirational quotes on love from New York Times bestselling author, professor, and PBS motivational speaker Leo Buscaglia. Filled with inspirational quotes and structured so each section can be read individually, Born for Love can be picked up at any point, allowing the reader to guide their own experience through Buscaglia’s reflections on love. This approach encourages personal philosophical thinking and contemplation, creating a highly individualized experience and encouraging students of love toward a better comprehension of the art of loving. Inspirational and thought-provoking, Born for Love: Reflections on Loving conveys Leo Buscaglia’s message through short, poignant chapters filled with memorable, uplifting quotes. Just as Buscaglia insisted that love lasts forever, his poignant words continue to have everlasting relevance with today’s audience.
As the dramatic climax of The Sea of Fertility, 'The Decay of the Angel' brings together the dominant themes of the three previous novels- the meaning and decay of Japan's courtly tradition and samurai ideal; the essence and value of Buddhist philosophy and aesthetics; and, underlying all, Mishima's apocalyptic vision of the modern era, which saw the dissolution of the moral and cultural forces that throughout the ages nourished a people and a world. The time is the late 1960s. Honda, now an aged and wealthy man, discovers and adopts a sixteen-year-old orphan, Toru, as his heir, identifying him with the tragic protagonists of the three previous novels, each of whom died at the age of twenty. Honda raises and educates the boy, yet watches him, waiting.