{"product_id":"spem-joseph-thomas-st-johanser-9798307536261","title":"Spem: Hope in Garlic","description":"Miles Kingston heads a successful software business specialising in clandestine data research. To broaden his interests he reduces his eighty hour work week and joins the local amateur operatic society for their production of Verdi's 'La Traviata', where he meets Karen Johnson, who is cast as Violetta.\u003cbr\u003eIn the depths of the internet Miles's technicians discover an unknown early opera, setting the words of Shakespeare's long and tragic love poem, 'Venus and Adonis'. Miles decides to put on the opera at a summer music festival in Dorset, starring Karen as Venus. A hi-tech hologram of William Shakespeare is added by Miles's people for dramatic effect.\u003cbr\u003eKaren is divorced, with grown up children. She has finished with looking after a family and wants to be a professional opera singer. She rejects Miles's proposal of marriage, though she loves him, because he is fixated on having children; compelled, so he says, by the demands of his selfish genes, who insist on being propagated. \u003cbr\u003eThe opera is rehearsed and premiered. Apparently alive, the hologram delivers a momentous speech regarding the selfish gene theme which effects Miles deeply in the middle of his performance, providing a resolution.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Joseph Thomas St Johanser\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798307536261\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/19\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 230\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.69lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.48d","brand":"Joseph Thomas St Johanser","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48851112788223,"sku":"9798307536261","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/spem-joseph-thomas-st-johanser-9798307536261","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}