The Madman

About this book

A man removes his masks and discovers that the people around him respond to his uncovered face with fear. Other voices speak of saints, thieves, children and strangers whose ordinary encounters reveal disturbing contradictions.

Kahlil Gibran's collection consists of short parables and prose poems, often no longer than a page or two. The language is simple, but the meanings shift as the reader considers who is speaking and why. Humour can become cruelty within a sentence. It is easy to open these pieces at random, then return to one after its meaning has changed in memory.