Abacus
Description
An abacus (pl. abaci or abacuses), also called a counting frame, is a hand-operated calculating tool which was used from ancient times, in the ancient Near East, Europe, China, and Russia, until largely replaced by handheld electronic calculators, during the 1980s, with some ongoing attempts to revive their use. An abacus consists of a two-dimensional array of slidable beads (or similar objects). In their earliest designs, the beads could be loose on a flat surface or sliding in grooves. Later the beads were made to slide on rods and built into a frame, allowing faster manipulation.
How the series evolves
Books in this Series
Madame Sousatzka
This novel deals with the relationship between a devoted piano teacher, the Madame Sousatzka of the title, and an aspiring young pianist. The action takes place largely in the dilapidated London home of Sousatzka where three other colourful characters also live. One is a 'countess' in retirement who spends most of her time sitting and looking at the world, the second is a gay osteopath whose theories aim to benefit mankind, and the third, Jenny, is a woman-of-the-evening, albeit one of especial beauty and delicacy. Sousatzka herself came to Britain as a refugee from Russia. She has developed her own system for teaching the piano, but even she has doubts about its efficacy. Madame Sousatzka specialises in child prodigies. In her hands the new boy will blossom into musical genius. But the public cannot hear him yet: until his debut he belongs to Sousatzka and her bizarre hot- house tenants. One day he will be a great pianist - until that day he must play only for Sousatzka …
La politique du mâle
How the patriarchal bias operates in culture and is reflected in literature.