The palace of words.
I’ve always felt that reading a book is a unique experience, each one has its own ‘personality’ and ‘character’, and sometimes, I even find myself getting really fond of some of them, as if they were very good friends.One of this magnificent occasions in which I’ve been lucky enough as to find a book friend, was when I got acquainted with The Palace Thief, by Ethan Canin.
I must admit that I hadn’t heard about the book or the author, until the third time I watched the movie The Emperor’s club, in which Kevin Kline plays the role of a History teacher who tries to inspire his students for them not to learn only about the facts but also about the mistakes and achievements of the old leaders of the ancient empires.
I was immediately taken by the movie the very first time I watched it, but for some funny reason I don’t know, it was until the third time when I got curious about it and look it up to see if it had being based on a book.
It was then when I learned that the story takes all the best of a short story written by Canin in 1994.
Of course my curiosity was huge and couldn’t wait to read the story that had been able to inspire such a fine film, full of intense emotions, feeling and thoughts.
Now, that I’ve finally read the book I have to say that I’m even more attached to this story and I feel I profound respect for Canin whose words are presented in a way that the reading becomes totally absorbing and absolutely hard to put it down.
A funny thing, during the whole time I was reading the book, I couldn’t help myself and I went through the complete story listening to Kevin Kline’s voice, as if the same Mr. Hundert were narrating the story to me with his soft and paused voice, full of conviction and strength in the crucial moments, and full of pain and sorrow in the times of disappointment.