Contained in these few pages is a complete portrait of what it means to be human, at our most elemental, and the effect is awesome
* Observer *
Baricco's writing shows an author in unquestioned control of his vocabulary, his phrases brief but beautifully cadenced.
* Independent *
With its tenderness, eroticism and simplicity, it is one of the most astonishing and moving novels I have ever read.
* Daily Telegraph *
Baricco's delicate, minimalist prose style, full of wistful refrains and subtle rondos, is closer to a haiku than anything in the European literary tradition.
* Independent on Sunday *
Short and sharp, the novel's conclusion is as moving a piece of writing as one might hope to read.
- Chris Power,