The Lighthouse

A beautiful, poignant book, infused with the essences of Moby Dick, Cervantes, and Boges. Such a human story, poetic, sad, and elegant. Not a wasted panel here.

Four and a half stars, for a great edition of a very good book. It's a short tale, of a young soldier who knows nothing else, stumbling on an elderly lighthousekeeper, who shows the lad through his determination (and his knowledge of literary quotes) how there is always something worth attaining just over the horizon, should you have the legs (or sails) to get there. The author must have this as a key issue, for the making-of section accompanies an essay regarding all the many small changes he makes of all his works from one edition to another, and with every new translation, forever with the goal of making a fully finished, perfect piece. This being the second book of his I've read (after the impressive Wrinkles) just makes me think he's a dab hand at getting it right first time, for the lovely quality of the blue and white artwork and the rhythm of the narrative are really most enjoyable. Whatever lengths the story went through to get to this position were well worth it.