This book is a beautiful piece of writing, reading almost as if it is poetry. It is an enchanting love story involving Herve Joncour and the two women in his life; his loving wife and the woman with whom he falls in love with.
This will be an unusual book review for me, but it is an unusual book.
Herve Joncour buys and sells silkworm eggs for his living, as do many of the men from his hometown. He enjoys his chosen career, spending many months of the years travelling to foreign parts to collect his eggs, returning this home where he sells his eggs to make a hansom living. In 1861, a dreadful plague hits Europe, destroying most of the viable silkworm eggs available. Herve Joncour travels to Japan to trade with locals for silkworm eggs, despite the Japanese's ban on such trading.
He is smuggled into the country and makes a dangerous journey to a village somewhere in Japan, where he trades for eggs. He meets his host, and more significantly, he meets his hosts mistress. At their first meeting it is clear that she becomes enthralled with him, and Herve increasingly becomes obsessed with her. Despite the danger, he continues to return to Japan, not just for his silkworm eggs, but to see this young girl. They never speak to each other, never even touch each other, but Herve finds that he has fallen in love.
Despite his increasing obsession with the young girl, he puts his efforts at home into building a large park around his home and taking his wife on wonderful and exotic holidays. Despite his preoccupation, he essentially has a very happy home life, and he recognises that he is lucky in his choice of wife.
One day a letter arrives for him, written in Japanese. He believes that it written from the young girl he has fallen for and has it interpreted to him by a prostitute from the city. He discovers that it is an erotic letter, detailing a sexual intimacy that the writer imagines between them, but states can never be.
I won't spoil the end for you, but I will say that there is a twist at the end of the book in relation to that erotic letter.
I absolutely loved this book and am so glad that I purchased it. It is extremely short, taking less than an hour to read, but it was one of the most beautiful reads that I have had for a very long time. The prose was amazing, and the narrative flowed so smoothly with the use of repetition that it felt almost as if the story was a ripple in a lake moving slowly towards the shore.
Summary
What kind of read was it?
Short, but compelling and moving.
Do I recommend it?
Absolutely, I think that this book will amaze most readers, especially those that appreciate literary fiction.
Do I recommend that you buy it?
Absolutely. This is one book that I am glad is one my bookshelf.
Star Rating
7.5 / 8
Brilliant, couldn't put it down. Everyone should read it; it is totally amazing. Recommend that you buy it.
Originally posted 8 May 2010 Page Turners
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