The Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton (NYRB, $20). This vast attic of a book is the strangest, funniest, and most consoling work I know. It’s the last full expression of the pre-modern world, a compendium of bizarre anecdotes, rough wisdom, and sardonic commentary. Open it anywhere and you’ll find something extraordinary.
Buy The Anatomy of Melancholy at Amazon
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