La Volpaia, An Insolvable Problem of Genetics, House Opposite, Love Your Only Mother, The Laugher Summary

La Volpaia by Mark Helprin tells the story of university student Guiliano on a train departing Italy into the Alps en route to Germany. Into his train compartment comes a churlish priest who insists Guiliano open a bottle of wine for him and protests that he is wiser and more virtuous than the student. Guiliano protests that they are different people, and he is not foolish simply because he is not the priest. The priest explains how he can see the truth face of the world, singling out an old widow they just passed. He explains that everyone is wise and virtuous in their own way, but none are as brave as the dead.

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