Thomas Vogel Die letzte Geschichte des Miguel Torres da Silva (Dom Miguel's Last Story) Klöpfer & Meyer, August 2001, 172pp ISBN 3-421-05707-9 The setting is eighteenth-century Portugal, the themes are mathematics, storytelling, love, and to a lesser degree theology. Esoteric and far from our time though that may sound, the result is a highly intelligent and brilliantly accessible novel, playful in its use of various academic disciplines but never in danger of dazzling the reader with impossible technicalities. The Miguel of the title is the best storyteller in Portugal. He died in the middle of telling his grandson a story about a young Arab woman who suddenly turned into an old crone and whom the storyteller was being asked to help regain her youth and beauty. Following his death, his grandson Manuel has left his native town to study at the great university of Coimbra. Here he becomes acquainted with some of the mysteries of mathematics and finds love with the beautiful Maria. But he also feels bound to the legacy of his grandfather. The link between mathematics and stories is made clear to him by his teacher, Professor Ribeiro, who points out that both stories and mathematics require a resolution. Moreover the connection between what to many may seem like separate spheres of human endeavour is underlined by the way in which Hebrew uses the same signs/characters for both words and numbers. As for the connection with the theme of love, Manuel's relationship with Maria began by his telling her his grandfather's stories in exchange for her favours. Thanks to both pursuits he finds his voice and finally resolves the mystery of the incomplete tale. In fact it was complete, the explanation lying in the grandfather's aphoristic statement that every person must find his or her own way in life. This is what the young Arab woman has done. She has left home and travelled to Oporto where Manuel and his professional mentor meet her in her restored beauty. A true delight. Delicacy of touch and colourful descriptions make the pleasures of this novel absolute.