The Invention of Truth, by Marta Morazzoni

I almost started The Invention of Truth, which I picked up last week - like so many books - at the Unique Boutique thrift store, over the weekend. Then, perhaps when I saw the reference to John Ruskin in the book, I remembered I had intended to read George Gissing's account of his travels in Italy. I set aside The Invention of Truth and along with it Ruskin's Stones of Venice to read next. (And now, having finished the former, I have set aside the latter for later still, but I'm going to Venice for the first time later this year and I want to be sure to read it and also to do a reread of Invisible Cities before then.) It's an extremely short book - just 99 pages - and I read it in little snippets as I went about my business over the course of the day yesterday. It's a good book for that type of reading as there are easy stopping places every couple pages at least. The story alternates, back and forth, imagining two stories with real-world corollaries: John Ruskin's late-in-life visit to Amiens, France, and the creation of the Bayeux Tapestry by 300 French needlewomen. The stories seem to have little in common, but here and there you catch a moment of resonance that feels a little bit secret and special. This was a very enjoyable little book.