"I don't believe in God, but I miss him." So begins this book, which is a family memoir, an exchange with his brother (a philosopher), a meditation on mortality and the fear of death, a celebration of art, an argument with and about God, and a homage to the writer Jules Renard. Barnes also draws poignant portraits of the last days of his parents, recalled with great detail, affection and exasperation. Other examples he takes up include writers, "most...

Gilgamesh is considered one of the masterpieces of world literature, and although previously there have been competent scholarly translations of it, until now there has not been a version that is a superlative literary text in its own right. Acclaimed translator Stephen Mitchell's lithe, muscular rendering allows us to enter an ancient masterpiece as if for the first time, to see how startlingly beautiful, intelligent, and alive it is. His insightful...

Demonstrates how an unconscious fear of death motivates nearly all human goals, behaviors, and cultures, examining the role of mortality awareness in prompting social unrest and war.

Hendrik Groen may be old, but he is far from dead and isn't planning to be buried any time soon. But surely there is more to life at his age than weak tea and potted geraniums? Hendrik sets out to write an exposé: a year in the life of his care home in Amsterdam, revealing all its ups and downs-- not least his new endeavor, the anarchic Old-But-Not-Dead Club. And when Eefje moves in-- the woman Hendrik has always longed for-- he polishes his shoes...

"Written by an experienced physician, Why is Mommy Crying? comforts in the context of family and the larger universe. Young ones are also helped in navigating their fears. The young protagonist, Max, uses his imagination, and accompanied by his stuffed animal, Mink, begins to understand what has made his mother sad. His imagery and ideas offer a gentle springboard to discuss with children and the adults who love them the broader concepts surrounding...

Paralyzed by his fear of dying, Miles Grissom offers a cash reward to the first person who can show him a ghost, an angel, a demon, anything to prove that people go on after they die. He narrows the responses down to three viable candidates; a scientist, a medium, and a worldly entrepreneur. And along with his fiercely protective mother, he embarks on an adventure that will spiral into an unthinkable nightmare.

Inga is a poet. She wants to buy and restore a house she is drawn to that reminds her of her childhood home, but her distant husband Hermann sees little value in it or many of the things Inga loves. Her crumbling marrigae is a stark contrast to the relationship that she shares with her 8-year-old daughter, with whom she shares her hopes, fears and inner-most thoughts following her recovery from breast cancer. By day their lives seem magical, but at...