Suddenly, in spite of the trials of old age, and with the end in sight, everything seems possible again: love letters, soliloquies, scenes of jealousy, swan songs, social satire, and moments of happiness. Only an aging artist who has once more cheated death can get to work with such wisdom, defiance and wit. A wealth of touching stories is condensed into artful miniatures. In a striking interplay of poetry, lyric prose and drawings, the Nobel Prize-winning author creates his final, major work of art. A moving farewell gift, a sensual, melancholy summation of a life fully lived.