Items related to Adultery & other diversions
This collection of 13 essays looks for philosophical inspiration in the quotidian.
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In his essay "Maturity," Tim Parks, reflecting on that notoriously indecisive prince of Denmark, suggests that Hamlet's problem was "not cowardice, or even thinking too much, but rather that thought is his chief pleasure." Indeed, Parks continues, "It is perhaps this that our culture will have no truck with, the idea that the greatest pleasure might come, not from consumption, or action, or doing good or passion, but merely, wonderfully, from the mind's play with itself." Our culture may not appreciate the mind at play, but Tim Parks most definitely does. In Adultery and Other Diversions, he gives his own intellect free rein to cartwheel and skylark among a variety of subjects from the dangerous allure of adultery to the creative power of rancor.
About the Author:
With each essay, Parks begins by grounding himself and the reader in a concrete experience--a bus ride across Europe, for instance, or cleaning his daughter's room, or translating an Italian novel into English--then lets his mind loose to joyously observe, reflect, and comment on what it all means. In "Glory," for example, Parks recounts an arduous hike through the Italian Alps with his two young children and a family friend. Descriptions of the difficult terrain, his own complicated feelings about climbing a particular peak, his friend's preoccupation with the Tour de France, his children's games--all dovetail gracefully to arrive, eventually, at his real point, the nature of their endeavor:
Being an entirely mental quality, surfacing in nothing more concrete than a word, glory tends to be belittled, or viewed with some embarrassment in a world where technique and her accomplice, information, are assumed to hold sway.... And yet despite her new boots--Gore-Tex lined--and all the chocolate and mineral drinks, the creams for sores and plasters for blisters, young Stefi, I know, would never have climbed Monte Maggio on that third day had it not been for the flavour of certain words--Crest-Strider, Peak-Dancer.Whether he is discussing the Dionysian nature of affairs, or drawing parallels between the society Plato commented on in his Republic and our own, Parks does so with wit, elegance, and the kind of unself-conscious grace that a natural athlete brings to the game. Adultery and Other Diversions is a delight to read, and even better to think about afterwards--exactly the sort of book a certain prince of Denmark would have loved. --Alix Wilber
Tim Parks is the author of more than twenty novels and works of nonfiction, including the best-selling Italian Neighbors and An Italian Education. His novels include Europa which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. His essays have appeared in the The New Yorker and the New York Review of Books, for which he blogs. Tim Park is also a renowned translator. He lives in Italy.
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- PublisherSecker & Warburg
- Publication date1998
- ISBN 10 0436274892
- ISBN 13 9780436274893
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages190
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Adultery and Other Diversions This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780436274893
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Adultery and Other Diversions
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(1998)
ISBN 10: 0436274892
ISBN 13: 9780436274893
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Used; Good. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading. Seller Inventory # CHL9629567
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Adultery and Other Diversions
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Used; Very Good. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine. Seller Inventory # CHL1786827
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780436274893
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Adultery and Other Diversions
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(1998)
ISBN 10: 0436274892
ISBN 13: 9780436274893
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Book Description Cloth. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Edition. Black cloth with orange photographic dustjacket, not clipped. Seller Inventory # 50139
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Adultery and Other Diversions
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Book Description Condition: Good. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # GRP65967340
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Adultery and Other Diversions
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Used: Acceptable. Hardback with D/J in very good condition. Amazon This is a collection of pieces which lie somewhere between essays and narratives. The first is called "Adultery". It tells the story of the author's friend and squash partner who, after nine years of marriage, has an affair. The man is transformed by the romance of this new encounter. The writer feels its reverberations in his own life: what would happen if he had an affair? How can a marriage possibly remain exciting? His friend is risking everything, and for what? This is the starting point for Parks' journey of enquiry which takes in, amongst other areas, "Fidelity", "Maturity", "Europe", "Glory" and "Charity". He takes his subjects, which can sound dry, and spins them into a series of fascinating expositions which draw on personal, philosophical and cultural examples. Though he has a massive frame of reference, he doesn't wield his knowledge with bombastic authority. He is not interested in knowledge but in understanding experience, and when he calls in Wittgenstein or Shakespeare, they provide useful connecting tissue only where relevant to the issues in his own life. He teaches without didacticism and entertains while revealing truth. The book is funny, unpretentious and compelling, and combines the gravitas of philosophy with the thrill of good gossip. Hannah Griffiths. Seller Inventory # 23771
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Adultery & Other Diversions
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. Hardcover. First edition. First printing. Several minor marks on dust jacket. Jacket leading corners, edges and spine ends are very slightly worn. Hardcover spine ends are a little bumped. Hinge is visible between a few pages. Binding remains tight, contents are clean and clear throughout. AM. Used. Seller Inventory # 291263
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Adultery & other diversions
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(1998)
ISBN 10: 0436274892
ISBN 13: 9780436274893
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Book Description 1st ed. A tidy copy in tight binding Used - Very Good. VG hardback in VG dustjacket. Seller Inventory # BOOKS073135I
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Adultery & other diversions - SIGNED FIRST PRINTING
Published by
Secker & Warburg
(1998)
ISBN 10: 0436274892
ISBN 13: 9780436274893
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. Fine first printing in fine dustwrapper. A new, unread copy in complete, unmarked dustwrapper. Signed by the author to the title page, without further inscription. As an enthusiastic collector myself I make every effort to provide a high level of service. Enquiries welcomed. Paypal accepted. Signed by Author(s). Seller Inventory # 009001
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