The Rings of Saturn* is ostensibly the record of a walking tour along the eastern coast of England, but it spins fascinating threads, including: black and white photographs, history, people, places, beauty, decay, life, destruction, and death.

It is a novel, but contains more than a hint of an autobiographical account.

The narrative feels like a gathering of objects; the threads of a man’s thoughts, as an act of immortality.

At times I found the novel frustrating, but I persevered, and it is one of the  most extraordinary books I’ve read.

Highly recommended.

*by W.G. Sebald [translated from the German by Michael Hulse]