“Old age is a shipwreck.” Diary of a Mad Old Man follows the aging protagonist Tokusuke Utsugi, a wealthy retired businessman who keeps a diary detailing his physical […]
Japanese literature
The House of the Sleeping Beauties
“The old man had heard of a house where one could sleep beside a beautiful, drugged young girl, but he had never been there himself.” Chapter 1: The […]
Japanese literature
The Sound of the Mountain
“Old age was a soundless place. The sound of the mountain was the sound of his own heart.” Chapter 1: The Sound of the Mountain Shingo Ogata, an […]
French literature
Chéri
“You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.” Chapter 1 The novel opens in the luxurious Parisian apartment of Léa de Lonval, a retired courtesan in […]