Silk (novel)

Summary

Towards 1860, Herve Joncour, a Sériciculteur thrives, lives in Lavilledieu with his Helene wife, when its harvests are struck by the disease of the worms to silk. On the councils of Baldabiou, it leaves to the Japan in order to buy healthy eggs. After having crossed the Lake Baïkal and the Siberia, it meets a lord Hara Kei and his young mistress. It achieves its mission and returns at his place with him with the worms to silk. The difficulties which accumulate in Lavilledieu encourage Herve to go back to four recoveries to Japan. An impossible love starts then with the young woman. But the war starts and prevents it from bringing back more worms. One day it receives a Japanese written letter. Herve asks Mrs Blanche, old woman Japanese which holds a brothel in the area to translate the text.

Extract

In front of him, it saw the immense birdcage, with its opened large doors, absolutely vacuum. And in front of the birdcage, a woman. It did not look at around him and simply continued to go, slowly, stopping only when it was vis-a-vis elle.
Its eyes did not have an Eastern form, and its face was that of an young girl.
Herve Joncour took a step towards it, tightened the arm and opened the hand. On its palm, there was a ticket, folded into four. She saw it and its entire face started to smiling. It posed its hand on that of Herve Joncour, tightened with softness, was delayed one moment, then withdrew it, keeping between its fingers this ticket which had made the round the world tour. It had hardly hidden it in a fold of its clothing that the voice of Hara Kei was made hear.
- Be welcome, my French friend.

External bonds

http://www.oceanomare.com/opere/seta/amourdesoie.htm
http://www.panoramadulivre.com/V2/article.php3?id_article=72

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