The Age of Flowers (Pushkin modern edition) Book

In a white city on the African shore of the Mediterranean, the Islamic fundamentalists are gaining control of the streets and the European community of artists and decadent aristocrats seek refuge in memories and innumerable barely recognized vices. Luca and Irene, a young couple, are accepted into this society because of Irene's family and money.On learning that his wife has breast cancer, Luca becomes obsessed with the memory of his mother, who died of the same illness, and escapes into the only world in which he feels more secure—his garden—to which he devotes himself with the desperate passion of one threatened by the entire world. There he remains, ignorant of the intrigues of his friends and acquaintances, untouched by Irene's illness and her numerous affairs with other men. He immerses himself ever more deeply in his dream, becoming more and more like the city's native inhabitants who are rushing headlong to corruption and destruction."Original in style, rich and compelling."—Sandra Artom, La Stampa"Like all great novels, The Age of Flowers is scandalous and extreme."—Vittorio Sermonti, Corriere della SeraUmberto Pasti was born in Milan. He has contributed to Il Giornale and Indro Montanelli's La Voce with articles on art and literature. He has also written on travel, fashion, and current affairs for magazines such as Vogue, Elle, House & Garden, and The World of Interiors. He translated Marcel Proust's letters to his mother (1986) for the publishers Tartaruga. An expert on Islamic ceramics and a keen amateur botanist, Pasti lives in Milan and Tangiers. The Age of Flowers, his first novel, was shortlisted for the prestigious Premio Viareggio in 2000.Read More