Beatrice and Virgil
ABOUT
THE BOOK
When Henry receives a letter from an elderly taxidermist, it poses a puzzle that he cannot resist. As he is pulled further into the world of this strange and calculating man, Henry becomes increasingly involved with the lives of a donkey and a howler monkey – named Beatrice and Virgil – and the epic journey they undertake together. With all the spirit and originality that made Life of Pi so treasured, this brilliant new novel takes the reader on a haunting odyssey. On the way Martel asks profound questions about life and art, truth and deception, responsibility and complicity. (From Publisher)
NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS
Beatrice and Virgil encourages a reflection on humanity. It is also a story about human cruelty. The author, in a kind of a wicked way, tells us about death, life, guilt and redemption, using a simple language, without introducing unnecessary philosophy behind the events. This story is an interesting attempt to find a new language to describe the Holocaust.