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The History of Love Allusions and Cultural References

When authors give shout outs to other great works, people, and events, it's usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.

Literary and Philosophical References

  • Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina: "All happy families resemble one another" (1.97)
  • James Joyce, Ulysses: "Stately plump Buck Mulligan" (1.97)
  • James Joyce, Ulysses: "Ineluctable modality of the visible: at least that" (1.97)
  • Isaac Babel (2.1, 6.13, 6.17-19, 6.22)
  • Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (2.37, 5.22, 13.32)
  • Nicanor Parra (2.49, 5.22)
  • Jorge Luis Borges (3.11)
  • Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (3.11, 7.42bb)
  • Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (3.11)
  • William Shakespeare (3.11)
  • Bruno Schulz: The Street of Crocodiles (5.20, 13.10)
  • Franz Kafka (6.23-26)
  • Leo Tolstoy (6.27)
  • James Joyce, Ulysses: "There's nothing like a kiss long and hot down to your soul almost paralyzes you" (7.13)
  • Pablo Neruda (9.17)
  • Rubén Darío (9.17)

Historical References

  • Emanuel Ringelbaum (2.1)
  • Emanuel Feuermann (2.1)
  • Alberto Giacometti (2.23, 7.2)
  • Tenzing Norgay (2.37)
  • Sir Edmund Hillary (2.37)
  • Erasmus Darwin (2.43)
  • Antonín Dvořák: "Songs My Mother Taught Me" (7.57, 7.70)
  • Henri Matisse (7.61)
  • Calude Monet (7.61)
  • Amedeo Mondigliani (7.61)
  • Arthur Rubenstein (7.69)
  • Alberto Santos-Dumont (9.10)
  • Rembrandt (11.23, 11.31)

Pop Culture References

  • The Beatles: "Birthday," "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," Here Comes the Sun" (5.10)
  • Antonín Dvořák: "Songs My Mother Taught Me" (7.67)
  • North by Northwest (8.28, 8.51)
  • Eva Saint Marie (8.28)
  • Cary Grant (8.28)
  • The Beatles (10.11, 13.24)
  • The Rolling Stones (10.11)
  • Bob Dylan: "Lay, Lady, Lay" (10.11)
  • The Sex Pistols (13.25)