I only recently came across the name Jean Giono, after his work was recommended to me by my friend, Dmetri Kakmi. Following that discussion, I ordered a copy of The Man Who Planted Trees.
Coincidentally, Dmetri has blogged about this particular book today and you can read his comments here. While I have a tale to tell about the arrival of this book, I won't add much more to what Dmetri's said about Giono's writing, except that the simplest tales are often the most profound and memorable. It's a fine piece of writing, and puts me in mind of Alan Garner's Stone Book quartet and elements of Paul Gallico (The Snow Goose, for instance), all of which I read many years ago, except Giono pares the story-telling back even further perhaps.
Anyway, I found the book online at a couple of sites, but Fishpond were offering an edition with wood engravings by Michael McCurdy that took my eye, and so I ordered from them. A very light, paperback-sized package arrived a few days later, which I opened to discover... a stamp-sized book. It's a tiny thing.
Perhaps I'm exaggerating in saying it's a stamp-sized book, but it's certainly not much larger than an unfolded book of stamps. And, including a 24 page Afterword by Norma L. Goodrich, it's only 77 pages long. I read it in one small sitting.
Perhaps I'm exaggerating in saying it's a stamp-sized book, but it's certainly not much larger than an unfolded book of stamps. And, including a 24 page Afterword by Norma L. Goodrich, it's only 77 pages long. I read it in one small sitting.
Regardless of that, it's a delightful piece of writing (with wonderful woodcuts) and I'm keen to read more by Jean Giono. The Song of the World may be next.
