| A Journey Round My Skull Contributor(s): Karinthy, Frigyes (Author), Sacks, Oliver (Introduction by), Barker, Vernon Duckworth (Translator) |
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ISBN: 1590172582 ISBN-13: 9781590172582 Publisher: New York Review of Books OUR PRICE: $17.96 Product Type: Paperback Published: March 2008 Annotation: Hungarian author Frigyes Karinthy was sitting at his desk trying to decide between writing a long-projected monograph on modern man or polishing up a new play, when he was disturbed by the roaring-so loud as to drown out other noises-of a passing train. Before long it was gone, only to be succeeded by another. And another. But, Karinthy thought, it had been years since there had been trains in the streets of Budapest. Only then did he realize he was suffering from an auditory hallucination of extraordinary intensity. What in fact Karinthy was suffering from was a brain tumor, not cancerous but hardly benign, though it was only much later-after repeated spells of giddiness, the occasional fainting fit, friends remarking that his handwriting had somehow changed, and his discovery that the pages of books had gone blank before his eyes-that he consulted a doctor and began the process that led to an accurate diagnosis and a risky operation to correct the condition. What makes "A Journey Round My Skull" such a brilliant piece of medical testimony, and a memorable work of literature as well, is Karinthy's unflinching but strangely lighthearted description of his descent into illness. This troubling and scary, but above all life-affirming, book dances brilliantly on the edge of extinction. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Biography & Autobiography | Medical (incl. Patients) - Psychology | Neuropsychology - Health & Fitness | Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain) |
| Dewey: B |
| LCCN: 2007038827 |
| Series: New York Review Books Classics |
| Physical Information: 0.64" H x 5.4" W x 7.94" (0.67 lbs) 312 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The distinguished Hungarian author Frigyes Karinthy was sitting in a Budapest caf , wondering whether to write a long-planned monograph on modern man or a new play, when he was disturbed by the roaring--so loud as to drown out all other noises--of a passing train. Soon it was gone, only to be succeeded by another. And another. Strange, Karinthy thought, it had been years since Budapest had streetcars. Only then did he realize he was suffering from an auditory hallucination of extraordinary intensity. What in fact Karinthy was suffering from was a brain tumor, not cancerous but hardly benign, though it was only much later--after spells of giddiness, fainting fits, friends remarking that his handwriting had altered, and books going blank before his eyes--that he consulted a doctor and embarked on a series of examinations that would lead to brain surgery. Karinthy's description of his descent into illness and his observations of his symptoms, thoughts, and feelings, as well as of his friends' and doctors' varied responses to his predicament, are exact and engrossing and entirely free of self-pity. A Journey Round My Skull is not only an extraordinary piece of medical testimony, but a powerful work of literature--one that dances brilliantly on the edge of extinction. |