This short novella is quite simply one of the most enchanting things I’ve ever read. Don’t be put off if you’ve seen the film version with Kiera Knightly, take that as an indication that sometimes books just can’t be made into films and retain their beauty. I was lucky enough to be working in a bookshop when this came out in England, and got a proof copy prior to publication. It probably says more than anything I can describe that I’ve bought copies of this book for so many people as a gift.
There are two varying translations from the original Italian (I’d go for the first by Guido Waldman by choice) but in both, the simplicity and purity of the story and language are wonderful. I’m not really a romantic, but for me this is a perfect love story. I won’t spoil the plot but if concerns a silkworm merchant, Herve Joncour, who sets out from C19 France to Japan to get a new supply of silkworm eggs, where he falls completely under the spell of a concubine, despite their being unable to understand one another. It is a sad and wonderful tale which evokes so many emotions it had to be the first thing I wrote about. It also taught me that sometimes brevity and simplicity are all you need to captivate your audience.