A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters is a 1989 novel by Julian Barnes written as a collection of short stories in various styles. The stories contain motifs of ships and disasters, focusing on themes of destruction, art and love. The first story, "The Stowaway," tells the story of woodworms who stowed away on Noah's Ark during the Great Flood. Other stories include "The Survivor," a story about nuclear holocaust, and the "half chapter," "Parenthesis," which is a philosophical examination of love.
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