Vintage/antique The Story of San Michele Axel Munthe 1930 Hardcover Book. Includes an early promotional portrait of the author that was found inside the book, which has a letter from the publicity department of the publishing company attached to it, very interesting! Original copyright 1929.

The book is in good condition, it does show some wear from it's age, but no significant damage or markings. Please see photos for condition. It measures about 9" X 6".

The life story of a famous doctor.

The Story of San Michele has 32 chapters, approximately 368 pages. It is a series of overlapping vignettes, roughly but not entirely in chronological order. It contains reminiscences of many periods of his life. He associated with a number of celebrities of his times, including Jean-Martin Charcot, Louis Pasteur, Henry James, and Guy de Maupassant, all of whom figure in the book. He also associated with the very poorest of people, including Italian immigrants in Paris and plague victims in Naples, as well as rural people such as the residents of Capri, and the Nordic Lapplanders. He was an unabashed animal lover, and animals figure prominently in several stories.

The stories cover a wide range in terms of both how serious they are and how literal. Several discussions with animals and supernatural beings take place, and the final chapter actually takes place after Munthe has died and includes his discussions with Saint Peter at the gates of Heaven. At no point does Munthe seem to take himself particularly seriously, but some of the things he discusses are very serious, such as his descriptions of rabies research in Paris, including euthanasia of human patients, and a suicide attempt by a man convinced he had been exposed to the disease.