Vagaries

by Axel Munthe

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Pages: 98

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About this book

A doctor's consulting room becomes the starting point for Axel Munthe's reflections on charity, ordinary pleasures and the treatment of animals. In the opening pages of Vagaries, a wealthy young woman finds purpose in dressing dolls for children living in poverty after reading his article about toys. Munthe explains how that response helped persuade him to publish this collection, whose pieces draw on observations he presents as part of his own life.

The essays range from toys and street musicians to Capri, mountain scenery and animal welfare. One passage argues that horses, oxen and donkeys deserve rest and care after years of work, extending household obligations to the creatures that serve people. Humor sits alongside firm moral opinions, with human authority imagined as a form of government over other living beings. Readers interested in personal essays will find a physician testing what kindness means in daily practice.

About the author

Axel Munthe

Axel Munthe was a Swedish physician and memoirist whose medical career carried him through Paris, Rome, Capri, and service among communities facing disease and disaster. The Story of San Michele, first published by John Murray in 1929, combines autobiography, travel writing, medical recollection, and reflections on animals and human suffering.