The Story of San Michele - Hardcover

Munthe, Axel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1849027099 ISBN 13: 9781849027090

Verlag: Oxford City Press, 2010

Inhaltsangabe

Axel Martin Fredrik Munthe (1857 - 1949) was a Swedish-born physician and psychiatrist, best known as the author of The Story of San Michele, an autobiographical account of his life and work. He spoke several languages (Swedish, English, French and Italian fluently, and German at least passably), grew up in Sweden, attended medical school there, then studied medicine in Paris and opened his first practice in France. He was married to a wealthy Englishwoman and spent most of his adult life in Italy.

His philanthropic nature often led him to treat the poor without charge, and he risked his life on several occasions to offer medical help in times of war, disaster or plague. As an advocate of animal rights, he purchased land to create a bird sanctuary near his home in Italy, argued for bans on painful traps, and himself kept pets as diverse as an owl and a baboon, as well as many types of dog. His writing is light-hearted, being primarily memoirs drawn from his real-life experiences, but it is often tinged with sadness or tragedy. He primarily wrote about people and their idiosyncrasies, portraying the foibles of both the rich and the poor.

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Reseña del editor

The Story of San Michele is the famous memoir by Swedish physician Axel Munthe (1857-1949). Written in English, it has been a best-seller in numerous languages. The author associated with a number of celebrities of his times, all of whom figure in the book. He also knew the very poorest, including immigrants and plague victims. He was an unabashed animal lover, and animals figure prominently, especially his alcoholic pet baboon, Billy. Several discussions with animals and various supernatural beings take place, and the final chapter actually happens after Munthe has died and includes his discussions with Saint Peter at the gates of Heaven. Munthe doesn't seem to take himself particularly seriously, but some of the things he discusses are very serious, such as his descriptions of rabies research, including euthanasia of human patients, and a suicide attempt by a man convinced he had been exposed to the disease. Worldwide, the book has been immensely successful.

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Oxford City Press
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1849027099
• ISBN 13: 9781849027090
• Einband: Tapa dura
• Sprache: Englisch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 548
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar