“This story began on one of those days of the height of summer, when it’s the first time all year you walk barefoot through the grass—and a bee stings you.” That was the sign for the hero that it was time to set off on a journey to find the woman he calls the fruit thief. Following her—so he goes, and therefore we go as well—to Wexen.
On the train, rushing through Paris, along rivers and plains, by the roadside meeting both random and not-random people, we discover the main hero from different sides. Handke knows how to turn any everyday action, word, thought, and observation into a truly grand epic. “The Fruit Thief” is yet another unforgettable masterpiece of his contemplative genius.