Life Is an Operetta : And Other Short Stories

Peter Ustinov is famous for his many talents but it is his skill as a storyteller that stands out above all else.

Life Is an Operetta is a delightful collection containing nine stunning examples of Ustinov's narrative gift.

The title story illustrates beautifully Ustinov's ability to weave pointed observations into his fiction. "Life Is an Operetta" features a young woman, Mitzi, who is obsessed with the stage but poor at choosing lovers -- so much so that the one man who can provide her with security and support is the one who is always left behind.

Readers are offered a tour of the old country and an education in European tradition as the locations of the stories range from Australia, through Spain and France, to the Italian railway carriage of "God and the State Railways", while the characters are equally varied in personality and social status.

Combining Ustinov's telling wit and deep understanding of human frailty, Life Is an Operetta sparkles with keen perception and a storyteller's delight in presenting well-crafted tales.

Also included are "The Frontiers of the Sea", "The Swiss Watch", "Dreams of Papua", "The Assassins", "The Gift of a Dog", "The Silken Dagger", and the tale of a man lost in his own homeland, "The Loneliness of Billiwoonga".