Summary of The Willow KingÂ
“The Willow King” is a historical novel about Laurentius Hylas, a medical student at the University of Tartu (then called Dorpat) in the late seventeenth century, who is searching a cure for melancholy. At the time, Estonia was part of the Swedish Empire.
Reasons to read The Willow King
“The Willow King” is an erudite historical novel that explores themes such as the nature of melancholy (or depression), the relationship between body and soul, and the progress of science. It also delves into less enlightened topics like superstition, witchcraft, and prejudices. Meelis Friendenthal won the European Union Prize for Literature in 2013 for his novel “The Willow King”.
Setting: Tartu (Estonia)
Original title: Mesilased
Year of publication: 2012
Nr of pages: 288
