'A writer whose tears for her characters freeze as they drop' SUNDAY TIMES 'Vivid and moving and in combination with the existentialist panorama of history make the book well worth reading' KIRKUS REVIEWS 'Simone de Beauvoir has the true novelist's gift' A. S. BYATT When the beautiful, ambitious actress Regina takes Fosca into her life and learns his amazing truth, she is obsessed with the thought that in his memory her performances will live forever. But, as he recounts the story of his existence over more than six centuries, she learns of his involvement in some of the most significant events in history and how his humanity has withered away. Regina finally understands the implications for him to hope and love. All Men Are Mortal was adapted into a film released in 1994, starring Irene Jacob, Marianne Sagebrecht and Stephen Rea.