Silk by Alessando Baricco

Silk by Alessandro Baricco is only a scant 132 pages and although the narrative is sparse and austere it is yet a very authentic story. It is simply the story of silk merchant, Herve Joncour, who is married. Herve exists through life quietly and routinely, always a follower never a leader. On a trip to Japan to smuggle silkworm eggs back to France he is struck by a girl who does not have oriental eyes, the mistress of the Hara Kei and the most invincible man in Japan. The girl stirs his soul and he hovers on the brink of change. He feels connected to the girl in Japan who does not have oriental eyes, the mistress of the Hara Kei and the most invincible man in Japan, and although he loves his wife he is tempted by the elusiveness her. Baricco is very skillful at building layer upon layer of emotional intensity. He uses repetition of words and parts of the plot in this way as well. A story of reality versus illusion. Recommended read. My Rating: 4.0 Chapters Amazon