The Elephant's Journey by José Saramago

In 1551, King Joâo III of Portugal gives Archduke Maximilian an unusual wedding present: an elephant named Solomon, along with his keeper, Subzero. The two have been living in dismal conditions, forgotten in a corner of the palace grounds. When it occurs to the king and queen that an elephant might be an appropriate wedding gift, everyone rushes to get them ready: Subzero is given 2 new suits of clothes and Solomon a long-overdue scrub. Accompanied by the archduke, his new bride, and the royal guard, our unlikely heroes traverse a continent riven by the Reformation and civil war. They make their way through the storied cities of northern Italy: Genoa, Piacenza, Mantua, Verona, Venice, and Trento, where the Council of Trent is in session. They brave the Alps and the terrifying passes, they sail across the Mediterranean Sea and up the Inn River. (Elephants, it turns out, are natural sailors.) At last, their extraordinary journey ends with a grand entry into the imperial city of Vienna.

José Saramago, 2010

Paperback, Very Good

207 pages

224g

21 x 14 x 1.5 cm