Made up of four short stories themed around people being distorted by good fortune, or "the harsh voice we hear when money talks, or hate". The Life Sentence is about a man whose wife cannot forgive him for getting cold feet before their marriage, and when she turns to business and outdoes him their marriage comes under more and more strain. There Is No Conversation is about the Marquis de Sevenac, a vain Frenchman who dallies with a rich American businesswoman. The Salt of the Earth is about Alice, a woman who is always trying to help her family by pointing out their flaws and how they could do better. Finally The Abiding Vision is about a successful American who finds comfort in the arms of a glamorous young woman as his wife who has worked by his side for years, ages. All of them are insightful studies of human nature though I think the rather horrific The Salt of the Earth is my favourite. There are some great quotes in here:
- "There is no such thing as conversation. It is an illusion. There are intersecting monologues, that is all."
- "I feel that people are bound to have accumulated interests and responsibilities which leave them no time for these narcissistic excesses unless they have lived with an appalling coldness and selfishness."
All in all thoroughly enjoyed this.

Taken to the meet-up.

To the finder, enjoy, and I hope you will write a journal entry so that previous readers will know that this book has been found. It is always a joy to find where it has gone. You can remain anonymous but if you are interested in joining (free with no strings) please consider using greenbadger or anyone else who has journaled the book as your referrer.
I don't get anything from this except for the pleasure of watching my books travel and knowing that they are giving pleasure to others.
Keep the book for as long as you like, and when you are done with it please pass it on to a friend, or set it out "in the wild" for someone else to find as you did. When you pass this book along, please make a release note to let others know where you left it. Thank you.

Picked up at the London meet up