This is an elegy for all of them, a haunting and beautiful novel, perfectly filmed by Vittorio de Sica, and awarded an Oscar in 1971.

I had won a grand award as well as the honor of having a minor planet named after me.

The Social Network won three Golden Globe awards last week -- for best drama, best director David Fincher and best screenplay, by Aaron Sorkin -- and is tipped to sweep the board at the Oscars.

Two related themes, however, thread their way through all the novels of Mr. Vargas Llosa, who won the Nobel literature prize Thursday.

Fortunately, the team that won the Nobel prize was able to provide Dr Maitland with a version of the protein that emits red light.