First installment of The Avignon Quintet, one of the most emblematic works of Lawrence Durrell, The progatonists of this mature novel by Durrell live withdrawn from the world in a dilapidated castle on the outskirts of Avignon, involved in the mysterious plot of a Gnostic suicide club, whose headquarters are in the oasis of Macabru, not far from Alexandria. . Egypt, Provence and Venice are the background of some plot threads that converge, in unexpected ways, in the enigmatic history of the Knights of the Temple and in a strange sect of agnostics. The happiness with which Avignon was associated in the memory of the diplomat Pierre de Nogaret, his sister Sylvie and the impetuous Doctor Bruce is about to collapse, perhaps forever.

A collection of stories covering a wide range of themes and styles. They include "The Misfits," which was made into a film starring Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable.

""This engrossing comic vision of the dark side of politics in Albany follows Roscoe Conway, a quick-witted, charismatic lawyer and politician who has devoted much of his life to helping his democratic party cohorts. As he is about to publicly declare his resignation, he receives news of the suicide of his friend Elisha, a former democratic mayor of Albany. Elisha's death starts all sorts of rumors, and Conway has no choice but to analyze the last 20 years of his life in order to understand the reasons that prompted his friend's suicide. His relationship with Irish gangsters, rigging of elections, alcohol smuggling, and gambling are some of the memories he recalls that end up forming a portrait of political and economic power in Albany during the first half of the 20th century.

"Esta fascinante vision humoristica del lado oscuro de la politica en Albany sigue a Roscoe Conway, un abogado y politico agudo y carismatico que ha dedicado gran parte de su vida a ayudar a sus cohortes del Partido Democrata. Cuando esta a punto de hacer publica su dimision, recibe la noticia del suicidio de su amigo Elisha, un ex alcalde democratico de Albany. La muerte de Elisha da rienda suelta a todo tipo de rumores, y Conway no tiene mas remedio que analizar los ultimos veinte anos de su vida para comprender las razones que motivaron el suicidio de su amigo. Su relacion con gangsters irlandeses, la manipulacion de las elecciones, el contrabando de alcohol y los juegos de azar son algunos de los recuerdos que terminan formando un retrato del poder politico y economico en Albany durante la primera mitad del siglo XX."

Arthur Miller, Prince of Asturias Prize for Literature 2002, is the most important American playwright of the twentieth century and one of the most prestigious intellectuals in America. He compiles, for the first time in book form, a dazzling array of fortyfour essays and articles, written between 1944 and 2001, about politics and history, theater and literature.