Ocean Sea (Canons) Paperback – 7 November 2019

I’m using this kindle edition of the English translation of Oceano Mare because I am reading the original in Italian.I can annotate the kindle edition and use it to check my understanding of the Italian text.I can make the text larger which makes it easier to see and I can note useful phrases.It makes it easier for me to check Italian structures and I can re-read the sections I have prepared more speedily.It saves space, not having to write notes on paper, and it’s easier to cross reference things.It might not be to everyone’s taste to read a book in this way but it suits me. I can read a chapter in English so that I have an idea of the plot and then I can look at the Italian carefully.

Baricco è unico, inconfondibile, stupefacente in ogni riga. La storia di Oceano Mare è immensa quanto ciò che rappresenta il titolo del libro.

Not much substance. Author seems to be more concerned with its literarly form than the plot and character design and in my opinion, its pretentious attempt to be poetic only comes out as droning.

Never before has a novel moved me so deeply with just two pages of its prose. The author is so good (and the translator too) that I found myself tasting brand-new emotions, new flavors of heartbreakingly wistful love, through these words.At times the story itself is heavy-handed and unimpressive. And the book is rather short, and the chapters don't all hang together so well. But the layers of meaning, the metaphors and above all the well-described emotions, put Ocean Sea in the highest stratum of literary novels. It's that good. It's the sort of book that you'll want to give to a friend after you finish it, and then you'll want to buy another copy for yourself because you don't want to be without it.

I loved this book since the first time I read it. I read it in other languages as well and every time it’s magic.