Zen, with its absurdist koan, laughs at life much the way the Marx brothers did. What exactly can you make of a philosophical system whose teacher answers the question, How do you see things so clearly? with the seeming one-liner, I close my eyes?

Every day that the weather permitted, Lady Marchmont visited her uncle's grave: it had become the principal object of her existence; and the weather gloomy, cold, and rainy, though at the beginning of summer, harmonised well with her present frame of mind.

They all looked up at me, a wisp of amusement in their eyes as I slid off the back of the old oat burner and actually landed on my feet, which was no small achievement.

Despite the ups and downs of removals and rehousings, the collection was considerably extended under his guidance, both by purchases and donations.