Silk

Alessandro Baricco

This is a strange little book. It's short, very short, more like a short story than a novel. And there is something about its style, that makes it seem as if it's a poem. The story is about a Frenchman who travels to Japan to buy eggs of silkworms. It's not much of a story which is why I said that it was strange. On the other hand, it's quite beautifully written, and it only takes a couple of hours or so to finish. I've been trying to figure out how to describe it, but I can't. I think it's a story which you admire for its beauty, and some of the images still flit around in my mind. But whatever symbolism was meant, just passed me by. (Another in your club, Harry.) Try it if you have a couple of hours to spare.