SILK

(EXCERPT)
By: Alessandro Baricco
Alessandro Baricco

After receiving degrees in philosophy (under

Gianni Vattimo) and piano, he published essays
onmusic criticism:Il genio in fuga(1988) on
Gioachino Rossini, andL'anima di Hegel e le
mucche del Wisconsin("Hegel's Soul and the
Cows ofWisconsin", 1992) on the relation between
music andmodernity. He subsequently worked as
musical critic forLa Repubblica andLa Stampa ,
and hosted talk shows onRai Tre.

Baricco debuted as a novelist withCastelli di

rabbia(translated asLands of Glass) in 1991.
In 1993 he co-founded a creative writing school
inTurin, naming it Scuola Holden after
J. D. Salinger'sHolden Caulfield. The Scuola
Holden hosts a variety of courses on narrative
techniques including screenwriting, journalism,
videogames, novels andshort stories.
Alessandro Baricco

In the following years his fame grew

enormously throughout Europe, with his
works topping the Italian and French best-
seller lists. Larger recognition followed the
adaptation of his theatrical
monologueNovecentointo the movie
The Legend of 1900, directed by
Academy Award-winning director
Giuseppe Tornatore.

He has also worked with the French band

Air, releasing "City Reading", a mix of the
band's music with Baricco's reading of his
novelCity.
He has directed the filmLezione 21on
Beethoven'sNinth Symphonyand its
critical reception.
His Works
Novels
Castelli di rabbia, Rizzoli 1991, Tascabili
Bompiani 1994;Lands of Glass, Penguin 1992.
Awarded with Prix Mdicis tranger France
Oceano Mare, Rizzoli 1993;Ocean Sea,ISBN
0-375-70395-0, 1993. Awarded with 'Palazzo al
Bosco' Italy
Novecento. Un monologo, Giangiacomo
Feltrinelli Editore, Milan, 1994;Novecento
: pianist, 1994.

Seta, Rizzoli 1996;Silk,ISBN

978-0-307-27797-8, 1996. (SeeSilkfor the film
adaptation.)
City(original title),ISBN978-0-375-72548-7
(edition in English), Rizzoli 1999.
Constellations(original title), 1999.
His Works

Senza sangue, Rizzoli 2002;

Without BloodISBN1-4000-3478-7,
2002. (Also published in revised form
inThe New Yorker)

Questa storia, Fandango 2005.

Emmaus, Feltrinelli 2009.
Mr Gwyn, Feltrinelli 2011.
Tre volte all'alba, Feltrinelli 2012.
Smith & Wesson, Feltrinelli 2014.
La Sposa giovane, Feltrinelli 2015.
His Works

Theater
Totem, a literary and musical
happening staged in various locations
throughout Italy with varying structure
and contents. Mostly it consisted of a
two-night theatrical event in which
Baricco himself, helped by director
Gabriele Vacis, actorEugenio Allegri
and musicianDaniele Sepe, would
read and comment on bits of literature
from all centuries and countries,
accompanying them with music. In
2001 Rizzoli published the video
ofTotemrecorded in Milan in 1997.
His Works

Novecento, Feltrinelli 1994;The

Legend of 1900(1994)
originally a monologue for
theater staged by director
Gabriele Vacis, adapted in 1998
into a film byGiuseppe
Tornatore,La leggenda del
pianista sull'oceano, with music
composed byEnnio Morricone.

Davila Roa, staged only once by

directorLuca Ronconi.
Reportedly a huge fiasco, it was
never published in written form.
His Works

Omero, Iliade, Feltrinelli 2004;An Iliad,

Vintage International 2004 (ISBN
978-0-307-27539-4) a rewriting of
Homer'sIliadconsisting of 24 chapters,
each telling a part of the story through
the eyes and words of a prominent
character in the poem. The theatrical
event from which the book originated
was staged only twice due to its logistic
difficulties: it spanned over three nights
during which the best contemporary
Italian actors would impersonate one
character each, eight per night.
His Works
Cinema
Partita Spagnola, Audino Editore 2003
(screenplay never shot).
Lecture 21, 2008 (written and directed).

Collected short writings[edit]

Barnum. Cronache dal Grande Show,

Feltrinelli 1995
Barnum 2. Altre cronache del Grande
Show, Feltrinelli 1998
Next. Piccolo libro sulla globalizzazione
e il mondo che verr, Feltrinelli 2002
Il nuovo Barnum, Feltrinelli 2016
His Works

Essays
Il genio in fuga. Sul teatro musicale di Rossini, Il Melangolo
1988, Einaudi 1997
L'anima di Hegel e le mucche del Wisconsin, Garzanti 1992
I Barbari, La Repubblica 2006
His Awards

Prix Mdicis tranger France

Selezione Campiello Italy
Viareggio Italy
Palazzo al Bosco Italy
STORY ANALYSIS
Elements of Fiction

Setting Mood
Place- Japan Light
Time- 1854
Elements of Fiction

Character Type of Plot

The main character or the The type of plot in this novel
protagonist is Herve Joncour, is episodic.
a French Adventurer. He has
a dangerous mission to
smuggle silkworm eggs from
Japan. It was very hard for
him to accomplish his
mission, because at that time
bringing silkworm eggs
outside of Japan was
considered a crime.
Elements of Fiction

Conflict Point of View

The conflict in the story is The author Used the third
Herve Joncour is married. persons point of view.
Also that the Japanese girl
belongs to Hara Kei. Thats
why if Herve Joncour and the
girl continue their relationship
Hara Kei will kill him.
Elements of Fiction

Theme Style
Love in a Strange Place The author used descriptive
and narrative style.
Elements of Fiction

Symbols
Cup- it symbolizes the desire
between Herve Joncour and
the Japanese girl.
Plot Summary

Herv Joncour travels the world buying silkworm eggs and

eventually travels as far as Japan. He buys eggs from Hara Kei, a
French-speaking nobleman. Joncour falls in love with his mistress.
During his second visit to Japan, Joncour learns about the aviary of
exotic birds that Hara Kei has built; he leaves a glove for Hara Kei's
mistress to find in a pile of clothes. Hara Kei's mistress gives him a
love note written in Japanese that says, "Come back, or I shall die."
During Joncour's third visit to Japan, Hara Kei's mistress releases
the birds from the aviary. Joncour and Hara Kei's mistress have sex
by proxy. Hara Kei conducts the silkworm egg transaction via an
associate and does not say goodbye when Joncour leaves. When it
is time for Joncour to make a fourth trip to Japan, war has broken
out. He finds Hara Kei's village burned to the ground. A young boy
appears and gives him the glove that he had dropped on the pile of
Hara Kei's mistress's clothes. He follows the boy to the place where
the refugees from Hara Kei's village are camping.
Plot Summary

Hara Kei denies Joncour welcome but Joncour refuses to

leave. The next morning, Joncour sees the body of the boy
hanging from a tree; Hara Kei has executed him for carrying
the glove to Joncour and bringing him back to the village.
Joncour hastily procures a supply of eggs but leaves far too
late in the season to transport them to France. The silk mills
sit idle that year.
One day, he receives a letter written in Japanese. He takes it
to Madame Blanche. It is an erotic love letter from a woman to
her beloved master. Madame Blanche gives him some of her
trademark blue flowers. Joncour retires from the silkworm egg
business; he and Hlne have three daughters. Baldabiou
leaves Lavilledieu suddenly and is not heard from again.
Hlne dies of a fever several years later. On a visit to her
grave, Joncour sees Madame Blanche's blue flowers there. He
visits her and learns that his wife is the author of the letter.
 The End
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