Leonardo Sciascia, for example, views the motif of the dissolution of individual identity as an aspect of Pirandello's Sicilianism rather than as a reflection of the vaster Western crisis of identity.

During planning for the film, Ursula was not originally designed as a cecaelia (a composite mythical being, combining the head, arms and torso of a woman, and from the lower torso down, the tentacles of an octopus or squid as a form of mermaid or sea demon). It was thought that she would be another sea creature, such as a rockfish-like mermaid.

The most talked-about new book here, “China is Unhappy,” combines hypernationalism with biting criticism of Western mismanagement and of China’s reluctance to grasp its place in history.

On the other hand, agewise, Deb admits to being 32, while Liz, with her latent maternal reflections, sounds like she is pushing 35--advantage Pickett.