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Greg

Trieste

Dasa Drndic

$19.99  $18.00

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Haya Tedeschi surrounds herself with memories and photographs, reflecting on the past and the absence of her child who was stolen during WWII. This novel constantly blurs the line between fact and fiction. Voices interject into the narrative, crying out to be heard, whether it’s the Lebersborn children, transcripts from war crime trials or the distant echo of so many lost souls. Although at times not a comfortable read, this is a deeply engaging one. I found myself pausing intermittingly, taking time to reflect upon the enormity of what I had read. For me, this is easily the book of 2012. Greg

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Haya Tedeschi sits alone in Gorizia, north-eastern Italy, surrounded by a basket of photographs and newspaper clippings. Now an old woman, she waits to be reunited after sixty-two years with her son, fathered by an S.S. officer and stolen from her by the German authorities during the War as part of Himmler's clandestine 'Lebensborn' project, which strove for a 'racially pure' Germany. Haya's reflection on her Catholicized Jewish family's experiences deals unsparingly with the massacre of Italian Jews in the concentration camps of Trieste. Her obsessive search for her son leads her to photographs, maps and fragments of verse, to testimonies from the Nuremberg trials and interviews with second-generation Jews, as well as witness accounts of atrocities that took place on her doorstep. A broad collage of material is assembled, and the lesser-known horror of Nazi occupation in northern Italy is gradually unveiled. Written in immensely powerful language, and employing a range of astonishing conceptual devices, Trieste is a novel like no other. Dasa Drndic has produced a shattering contribution to the literature of our twentieth-century history.

Telegraph Avenue

Michael Chabon

$19.99  $18.00

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- This is the story of two friends, Nat and Archy (owners of Brokeland Records) and their wives, Gwen and Aviva (midwives). It is an epic tale of friendship and betrayal, and though there are numerous tangents, it always comes back to the essential core -the friendship of Nat and Archy. When a proposed offer of a music megastore comes into play, both friends’ loyalties are pushed to the limit, as are their wives when a near disaster with a pregnancy occurs. A cross between High Fidelity and TV’s The Wire, this multi-layered read will have you rushing out to listen to those jazz funk classics of the 70s. Greg

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From the bestselling author of 'The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay'; his first novel in 5 years is a lovingly painted pop-culture epic. As summer in Oakland, California, draws to a close, Archy Stallings and Nat Jaffe are hanging in there, co-regents of Brokeland Records. Their wives, Gwen and Aviva, are the Berkeley Birth Partners, a pair of legendary midwives. When former star quarterback Gibson Goode announces plans to dump his latest Dogpile megastore on Telegraph Avenue, Nat and Archy fear the worst for their vulnerable little enterprise, as behind Goode's proposal lurks a nefarious scheme. And while their husbands struggle to mount a defence, Aviva and Gwen find themselves caught up in a professional battle that tests their friendship. Then into their already tangled lives comes Titus Joyner, the teenage son Archy has never acknowledged. An intimate epic that pulses with a virtuosic, pyrotechnical style all of its own, 'Telegraph Avenue' is Michael Chabon's most dazzling book yet, and a must-read for fans of Nick Hornby's 'High Fidelity'.

CCCP: Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed

Frederic Chaubin

$79.95  $71.95

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ---- This incredible book is a fascinating look at the architecture of the Soviet Empire. Futuristic, bizarre and at times something out of a sci-fi epic, many of these buildings are now gone but thankfully have been captured in this wonderful book. Greg

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Photographer Frederic Chaubin reveals 90 buildings sited in fourteen former Soviet Republics which express what could be considered as the fourth age of Soviet architecture. They reveal an unexpected rebirth of imagination, an unknown burgeoning that took place from 1970 until 1990. Contrary to the twenties and thirties, no  school  or main trend emerges here. These buildings represent a chaotic impulse brought about by a decaying system. Their diversity announces the end of Soviet Union. Taking advantage of the collapsing monolithic structure, the holes of the widening net, architects revisited all the chronological periods and styles, going back to the roots or freely innovating. Some of the daring ones completed projects that the Constructivists would have dreamt of (Druzhba sanatorium), others expressed their imagination in an expressionist way (Tbilisi wedding palace). A summer camp, inspired by sketches of a prototype lunar base, lays claim to its suprematist influence (Promethee).  Then comes the speaking architecture widespread in the last years of the USSR: a crematorium adorned with concrete flames (Kiev crematorium), a technological institute with a flying saucer crashed on the roof (Kiev institute), a political center watching you like a Big Brother (Kaliningrad House of Soviet). This puzzle of styles testifies to all the ideological dreams of the period, from the obsession with the cosmos to the rebirth of privacy and it also outlines the geography of the USSR, showing how local influences made their exotic twists before bringing the country to its end.

The Testament of Mary

Colm Toibin

$19.99  $18.00

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- This beautifully written novella brings a human voice to Mary not heard before. Reflecting on her son’s crucifixion, the unease she feels when witnessing his miracles and the growing menace of the authorities, Tóibín strips away the religious dogma, leaving an exposed, vulnerable woman who is both concerned and bewildered by what she is seeing. A truly moving work. Greg

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In a voice that is both tender and filled with rage, The Testament of Mary tells the story of a cataclysmic event which led to an overpowering grief. For Mary, her son has been lost to the world, and now, living in exile and in fear, she tries to piece together the memories of the events that led to her son's brutal death. To her he was a vulnerable figure, surrounded by men who could not be trusted, living in a time of turmoil and change.

As her life and her suffering begin to acquire the resonance of myth, Mary struggles to break the silence surrounding what she knows to have happened. In her effort to tell the truth in all its gnarled complexity, she slowly emerges as a figure of immense moral stature as well as a woman from history rendered now as fully human.

Norwegian by Night

Derek Miller

$32.95  $29.65

Sheldon Horowitz is an irascible octogenarian who moves to Norway to live with his granddaughter and her husband. He is a man filled with regret and remorse, having lost both his son and wife. When a mother is murdered, he rescues her young son and makes it his mission to protect the boy from a pursuing gang. The tension is beautifully mounted and, through the use of flashback, we become immersed in Sheldon’s quest and his many mistakes. A fast-paced thriller, rich in characterisation and garnished with dry humour.

The Richard Burton Diaries

Richard Burton ,  Chris Williams

$49.95  $44.95

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Written during the 44 years until 1983 and comprising over 700 pages, here are the diaries in their entirety of one of the world’s greatest actors. Burton was a complicated man and his diaries expose a part of him that has often been well hidden. Forthright and articulate in his opinions of himself and others, he constantly questioned the validity of his chosen career, was often concerned about his weight and his drinking, and had a voracious appetite for books. Greg 

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In his personal diaries, Richard Burton is a man quite different from the one we familiarly know as acclaimed actor, international film star and jet-set celebrity. From his private, handwritten pages there emerges a different person - a family man, father and husband, a man often troubled and always keenly observing. Understood through his own words, day to day and year to year, Burton becomes a fully rounded human being who, with a wealth of talent and a surprising burden of insecurity, confronts the peculiar challenges of a life lived largely in the spotlight. This volume publishes in their entirety the surviving diaries of Richard Burton (born Richard Jenkins, 1925-1984). The diaries were written between 1939 and 1983, throughout his career and the years of his celebrated marriages to Elizabeth Taylor. Diary entries appear in their original sequence with annotations to clarify the people, places, books and events he mentions. At times Burton struggles to come to terms with the unfulfilled potential of his life and talent. In other entries, he crows over achievements and hungers for greater challenges. He may be watching his weight, watching his drinking or watching other men watch his Elizabeth. Always he is articulate, opinionated and fascinating. His diaries offer a rare and fresh perspective on his own life and career, Elizabeth Taylor's and the glamorous world of film, theatre and celebrity they inhabited.

Jerusalem

Yotam Ottolenghi ,  Sami Tamimi

$49.95  $44.95

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Yotam and Sami have worked together in London for nearly 30 years. In this new book, they go back to their roots - Jerusalem, a city full of culinary inspiration. The authors confess that at times this book was an excursion in nostalgia, but the city is a never-ending source of influence on their cooking, whether it be Jewish, Muslim or Christian. Beautifully designed and illustrated, with a brief history on the city and littered with anecdotes, this book stands out in a very crowded genre. Greg

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The authors are the men behind the bestselling Ottolenghi: The Cookbook. Their chain of restaurants is famous for its innovative flavours, stylish design and superb cooking. At the heart of their food is a shared home city: Jerusalem. They were born there in the same year, Yotam on the Jewish west side, Sami on the Arab east side. Nearly 30 years later, they met in London and discovered they shared a language, a history and a love of great food. This book sets 100 of their inspired, accessible recipes within the cultural and religious melting pot of this diverse city. With culinary influences coming from its Muslim, Jewish, Arab, Christian and Armenian communities, and with a Mediterranean climate, the range of ingredients and styles is stunning. From soups (spicy frikkeh soup with meatballs), meat and fish (chicken with caramelised onion and cardamom rice, sea bream with harissa and rose), vegetables and salads (spicy beetroot, leek and walnut salad), pulses and grains (saffron rice with barberries and pistachios) to cakes and desserts(clementine and almond syrup cake), there is something new for everyone to discover. Packed with beautiful food and gorgeous photography, this book showcases sumptuous dishes in a dazzling setting.

Sydney Seafood School Cookbook

Roberta Muir ,  Roberta Muir

$49.99  $45.00

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Not just a regular cookbook, this includes tips on how to choose and store fish, plus step-by-step photos showing how to prepare prawns and crabs, fillet fish, clean squid and many other techniques. Chefs represented include David Thompson, Christine Manfield, Peter Doyle and Neil Perry. Includes over 80 recipes with one recipe per page accompanied by a photo of the completed dish. Greg

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For more than 20 years, the Sydney Seafood School has been teaching us how to prepare and cook the wonderful array of seafood found in our oceans and rivers. Now, for the first time, the School shares its wealth of tips and techniques, along with more than 80 outstanding recipes from Australia's leading chefs. Try your hand at Pete Evans' garlic prawns, David Thompson's grilled barramundi curry, or Alex Herbert's fish and chips. Treat your friends and family to Tetsuya's crudo of leatherjacket, Neil Perry's bar rock cod tagine, or Frank Camorra's Galician-style octopus. There is also expert advice on choosing and storing seafood, plus step-by-step photos of essential techniques, including filleting and butterflying fish, shucking oysters, cleaning squid and octopus, and preparing crabs, prawns and bugs. With beautiful photos of all the recipes to help you decide what to make, and illustrations of the various species so you know what to look for at the fishmonger, this gives you all the know-how and confidence to prepare seafood at home with delicious results every time.

The Street Sweeper

Elliot Perlman

$19.95  $17.95

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Lamont Williams, recently paroled, begins a job as a janitor in a Manhattan hospital where he befriends a dying patient, Henryk Mandelbaum. Adam Zignelik is an historian at Columbia whose personal and professional life is rapidly collapsing. We meet these two men at a tenuous time in their lives and the numrrous stories that link these men is the driving force behind this brilliant novel. Memory, friendship, guilt, academic politics and the Holocaust all play a role in this grand epic. I was moved and in awe of this magnificent book. Greg 

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'Excellent...Harrowing, humane and brilliant.' - The Times (UK) How breathtakingly close we are to lives that at first seem so far away. From the civil rights struggle in the United States to the Nazi crimes against humanity in Europe, there are more stories than people passing each other every day on the bustling streets of every crowded city. Only some survive to become history.  Recently released from prison, Lamont Williams, an African American probationary janitor in a Manhattan hospital and father of a little girl he can't locate, strikes up an unlikely friendship with an elderly patient, a Holocaust survivor who had been a prisoner in Auschwitz-Birkenau. A few kilometres uptown, Australian historian Adam Zignelik, an untenured Columbia professor, finds both  his career and his long-term romantic relationship falling apart. Emerging out of the depths of his own personal history, Adam sees, in a promising research topic suggested by an American World War II veteran, the beginnings of something that might just save him professionally and perhaps even personally.  As these two men try to survive in early twenty-first-century New York, history comes to life in ways neither of them could have foreseen. Two very different paths - Lamont's and Adam's - lead to one greater story as  The Street Sweeper, in dealing with memory, love, guilt, heroism, the extremes of racism and unexpected kindness, spans the twentieth century to the present, and spans the globe from New York to Melbourne, Chicago to Auschwitz. Epic in scope, this is a remarkable feat of storytelling.

The Art Book

Phaidon Editors

$75.00  $67.50

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Originally published in 1994, this updated edition includes 100 new works and is a wonderful introduction to the world of art. It is simply an A-Z of artists with a page devoted to a single work - painting, photography, sculpture, etc. Includes a glossary of the different artistic movements and an explanation of terms used. Beautifully produced, this is the one art book that everyone should have. Greg

Retro Sydney: The Way We Used to Live

Ian Collis

$45.00  $40.50

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- This is an incredible collection of photographs taken in and around Sydney in the 40s, 50s and 60s. The images are remarkable not so much for their photographic quality as for how they have captured moments in the life of an ever-changing city and its surrounding areas. The picture of George Street - with shops long gone - is priceless. This is the sort of book that will trigger many memories and recollections for a lot of people, while for others it is an invaluable document of times past. Greg

Lantern Cookery Classics - Gary Mehigan

Gary Mehigan

$19.99  $18.00

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- In this wonderful little series, each book is littered with colour pictures and easy-to-follow recipes, including starters, mains and desserts, plus serving suggestions. All the chefs have done their own cookbooks, but the beauty of these is they are like ‘best of’ collections, designed to help novices like myself. Greg

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Lantern is proud to publish some of Australia's most celebrated cooks and chefs. Now, in a new series of indispensable books for your kitchen bookshelf, Lantern Cookery Classics brings you timeless recipes from these much-loved authors. Each book has more than sixty recipes - all photographed, and with clear instructions to help you achieve a great result every time. Soon you'll be whipping up your favourite dishes from Stephanie Alexander, Maggie Beer, George Calombaris, Kylie Kwong, Gary Mehigan and Matt Moran. Why not treat yourself to the complete set?

HHhH

Laurent Binet ,  Sam Taylor

$32.95  $29.65

We are in Prague, in 1942. Two men have been enlisted to kill the head of the Gestapo. This is Operation Anthropoid: two Czechoslovakian parachutists sent on a daring mission by London to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich - chief of the Nazi secret services, 'the hangman of Prague', 'the blond beast', 'the most dangerous man in the Third Reich'. His boss is Heinrich Himmler but everyone in the SS says 'Himmler's brain is called Heydrich', which in German spells HHhH. All the characters in HHhH are real. All the events depicted are true. But alongside the nerve-shredding preparations for the attack runs another story: when you are a novelist writing about real people, how do you resist the temptation to make things up? HHhH is a panorama of the Third Reich told through the life of one outstandingly brutal man, a story of unbearable heroism and loyalty, revenge and betrayal. It is improbably entertaining and electrifyingly modern, a moving and shattering work of fiction.

I Hate Martin Amis et al

Peter Barry

$29.95  $26.95

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Milan Zorec, a frustrated (to say the least) unpublished writer decides to become a sniper in the Serbian army and becomes involved in the siege of Sarajevo. To say this is a somewhat unconventional novel would be an understatement. Barry plays with language in a most ingenious way, constantly toying with the reader. The story takes a turn into disturbing territory, recalling some of the darkest moments of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. This is the sort of literature that should be celebrated - dark, funny and challenging. Greg

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It is 1995. Milan Zorec, an aspiring yet rejected novelist, travels from England to Bosnia to join the Serbian forces as a sniper in Sarajevo, in the final months of the longest siege in history. Hes determined to find a story that no publisher will be able to damn with the words, I feel Ive seen this before. In doing so Milan journeys from innocence into the slow burning grip of darkness. Among his fellow snipers, the lost souls who make up Ratko Mladics army, Milan gains the ammunition to write his masterpiece the novel that hasnt been written before. Alternating between London and Sarajevo, I Hate Martin Amis et al is a chilling, blackly humorous novel that will appeal to both lovers of the word and anyone whos fallen short of their ambitions. Peter Barrys stunningly original, award winning debut isnt just about literary failure, though. Its a compelling portrait of the dreamer, and bores down into the very centre of things why we write, why we read, how we might live in these, the strangest of times.

Hope: A Tragedy

Shalom Auslander

$21.95  $19.75

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Solomon Kugel has moved into a farmhouse with his wife, son and mother (much to his wife's chagrin) to the town of Stockton. A place with no history and a chance for a new beginning. However the place comes with a smell (referred to by the real estate agent as the aroma of honesty) and at night the sound of a constant tapping coming from the attic that turns out to be Anne Frank working on a new book. So let's be honest this book is not for everyone, some may find it offensive others like me will find it absolutely hilarious and innovative. If you like Heller and Vonnegut then this gem will definitely appeal. Greg

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Solomon Kugel wishes for nothing more than to be nowhere, to be in a place with no past, no history, no wars, no genocides. The rural town of Stockton, New York, is famous for nothing: No one was born there, no one died there, nothing of any import has ever happened there, which is exactly why Kugel decided to move his family there. To begin again. To start anew. But it isn't quite working out that way. His ailing mother stubbornly holds on to life, and won't stop reminiscing about the Nazi concentration camps she never actually suffered through. To complicate matters further, some lunatic is burning down farmhouses just like the one he bought, and he fears his is next. And when, one night, Kugel discovers history -- a living, breathing, thought-to-be-dead specimen of history -- hiding in his attic, bad very quickly becomes worse. Like nothing you've read before, the critically acclaimed Shalom Auslander's debut novel is a hilarious and disquieting examination of the burdens and abuse of history, propelled with unstoppable rhythm and filled with existential musings and mordant wit.

Dracula

Bram Stoker

$12.95  $11.65

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Most people are familiar with the story of Dracula. However film has had a big influence on people’s concept of the story and its well worth taking the time to revisit or experience this classic for the first time. Written in a epistolary format, Stoker takes the reader into the hearts and minds of his characters. From the opening pages when Harker slowly realizes the sheer horror of what the Count represents, to a breath taking conclusion. An unforgettable read, rich in atmosphere and suspense this is one book that you will never forget. Greg

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Of the many admiring reviews, Bram Stoker's  Dracula  received when it first appeared in 1897, the most astute praise came from the author's mother, who wrote her son: 'It is splendid. No book since Mrs. Shelley's Frankenstein or indeed any other at all has come near yours in originality, or terror.' A popular bestseller in Victorian England, Stoker's hypnotic tale of the bloodthirsty Count Dracula, whose nocturnal atrocities are symbolic of an evil ages old yet forever new, endures as the quintessential story of suspense and horror. The unbridled lusts and desires, the diabolical cravings that Stoker dramatized with such mythical force, render  Dracula  resonant and unsettling a century later.

A Clockwork Orange

Anthony Burgess

$39.95  $35.95

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- O my brothers (and sisters of course) here I am sitting in the Korova Milkbar sucking back a nice cold moloko as my droogies and I peruse the 50th Anniversary Edition of A Clockwork Orange. O what a brilliant literary horrowshow it is, from the opening chapter one is  grabbed by the yarbles and drawn into this truly bizarre but believable world. With its Joycean wordplay and black humour running throughout the sheer brilliance of Burgess’s command of language creates a world that is timeless. This edition comes with a foreword by Martin Amis, plus essays articles etc. Your humble servant must leave now so fork out some hard earned pretty polly and grab a copy of this zammechat classic. Greg

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This is the fully restored 50th Anniversary edition. It includes a foreword by Martin Amis. First published by William Heinemann in 1962, A Clockwork Orange is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential books of the twentieth century. This special edition, compiled and edited by Andrew Biswell, Burgess' biographer, restores the text of the novel as Burgess originally wrote it, and includes a selection of interviews, articles, reviews and other previously unpublished material.

White Noise (Picador 40th Anniversary Edition)

Don DeLillo

$22.99  $20.70

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- One of the funniest and astute novels you'll read. Laugh out loud dialogue coupled with a satirical eye, this is definitely a modern-day classic. Greg

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First published in 1985, White Noise won the US National Book Award. It is now regarded as a classic of postmodern literature. Jack Gladney is a pioneering professor in the field of Hitler Studies at the bucolic Midwestern College-on-the-Hill. Married five times, he has a brood of children and stepchildren with his current wife, Babette. Over the course of an absurd, tragic year, Jack and Babette will each be forced to confront the question that keeps them awake at night: who will die first? In 2012 Picador celebrated its 40th anniversary. During that time we have published many prize-winning and bestselling authors including Bret Easton Ellis and Cormac McCarthy, Alice Sebold and Helen Fielding, Graham Swift and Alan Hollinghurst, and this edition is part of a special (and very elegant) collection marking the occasion.

Great House

Nicole Krauss

$19.99  $18.00

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- The link that connects these stories is a large desk. We follow each story as the desk moves from house to house, country to country. Greg

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Shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2011, Nicole Krauss'  Great House  is a haunting story that explores loss and memory. In New York a woman spends the night with a young Chilean poet before he departs, leaving her at his desk. Later, he is arrested by Pinochet's secret police...In north London, a man caring for his dying wife discovers a lock of hair that unravels a terrible secret...In Jerusalem, an antiques dealer reassembles his father's study plundered by Nazis. One item remains missing...Spanning continents and decades, weaving an intricate web of its characters' lives,  Great House  tells a soaring story of love, loss and survival against the odds.   The History of Love  was very good indeed.  Great House ...is even better. A heartbreaking meditation on loss and memory and how they construct our lives . ( Guardian ).  Full of mystery and suspense, building towards one of the great climaxes in contemporary fiction. It is hard to imagine a better book of fiction being published this year...one of the finest writers of our time . ( Jewish Chronicle ).  Bewitching, mysterious and deeply moving. One of 2011's must-reads . ( Harper's Bazaar ).  Nicole Krauss is an American bestselling author who has received international critical acclaim for her first three novels:  Great House ,  The History of Love  (Shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2006 and winner of the 2006 Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger) and  Man Walks into a Room  (shortlisted for the LA Times Book Award), all of which are available in Penguin paperback.

How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer

Sarah Bakewell

$19.95  $17.95

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- This is a wonderful read - though-provoking and entertaining. Bakewell poses 20 questions and attempts to answer each whilst describing Montaigne's life and how certain infused his philosophical thought. Highly recommended. Greg

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How to get on well with people, how to deal with violence, how to adjust to losing someone you love? How to live? This question obsessed Renaissance nobleman Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533-92), who wrote free-roaming explorations of his thought and experience, unlike anything written before. Into these essays he put whatever was in his head: his tastes in wine and food, his childhood memories, the way his dog's ears twitched when it was dreaming, events in the appalling civil wars raging around him. The Essays was an instant bestseller, and over four hundred years later, readers still come to him in search of companionship, wisdom and entertainment - and in search of themselves. This first full biography of Montaigne in English for nearly fifty years relates the story of his life by way of the questions he posed and the answers he explored.
           
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