Yann Martel’s Beatrice and Virgil is a profound and complex novel that intertwines the realms of fiction and history through the lens of a taxidermist’s workshop. The story follows Henry, a writer struggling with the legacy of post-Holocaust memory, who encounters two remarkable characters: Beatrice, a donkey, and Virgil, a donkey, both meticulously crafted and symbolic. Through their allegorical conversations, Martel explores themes of suffering, storytelling, and the challenge of representing the horrors of the Holocaust. With its layered narrative and poetic prose, Beatrice and Virgil invites readers to reflect on the power of art and narrative to confront trauma and to preserve collective memory.
Yann Martel’s Beatrice and Virgil is a profound and complex novel that intertwines the realms of fiction and history through the lens of a taxidermist’s workshop. The story follows Henry, a writer struggling with the legacy of post-Holocaust memory, who encounters two remarkable characters: Beatrice, a donkey, and Virgil, a donkey, both meticulously crafted and symbolic. Through their allegorical conversations, Martel explores themes of suffering, storytelling, and the challenge of representing the horrors of the Holocaust. With its layered narrative and poetic prose, Beatrice and Virgil invites readers to reflect on the power of art and narrative to confront trauma and to preserve collective memory.
Canongate 2010 hardback first edition, copy is in very good condition, slightest foxing to outer casement (see photos) otherwise clean and in very good condition
