A review by mysimas
Hedvábí by Alessandro Baricco

emotional reflective relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is a romance about as much as Romeo and Juliet is a romance: not very. Man sees woman, woman sees man, they like what they see, and they keep exchanging heated looks for like a week every year for three years because that’s the only occasion they can see each other. They risk their lives for this, and their ‘affair’ does in fact cost an innocent life.

So at first I thought, damn, it sure is stupid to so obsessively lust after someone after such sparse interactions, with no promise of more interactions and under such a great risk to boot. But then I thought some more, and. This man leads a life on autopilot, devoid of any real engagement or interest. That is, until this woman ‘on the end of the world’ that’s unattainable for him catches his eye and suddenly, he feels something. Ultimately that’s all that matters in life, isn’t it. To feel something.

And he could’ve felt with his wife, had he pulled his head out of his ass. She knew how to do it for him, and she was willing to. Right? Is that the point of the letter at the end? God, I don’t get it.


Anyway, I really liked the short chapters and the writing style. It was vivid, easy to read, engaging. I liked the dude who first introduced the protagonist to the silk trade; he had a disarming philosophy and a great sense of humour.

One thing I noted — the author was very particular about continually rooting the story in time. It is also highlighted that just a few years later this story would no longer be possible because the travel was getting progressively faster, silk more common, etc. 

Overall a very nice read that I will visit again someday. Might notice more things next time too.
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