The Hare With Amber Eyes

📘 About This Book

**WINNER OF THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD** Edmund de Waal uncovers the history of a family through a turbulent century through 264 objects. 264 wood and ivory carvings, none of them bigger than a matchbox: Edmund de Waal was entranced when he first encountered the collection in his great uncle Iggie's Tokyo apartment. When he later inherited the 'netsuke', they unlocked a story far larger and more dramatic than he could ever have imagined. From a burgeoning empire in Odessa to fin de siecle Paris, from occupied Vienna to Tokyo, Edmund de Waal traces the netsuke's journey through generations of his remarkable family against the backdrop of a tumultuous century. 'You have in your hands a masterpiece' Sunday Times 'The most brilliant book I've read for years... A rich tale of the pleasure and pains of what it is to be human' Daily Telegraph **ONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21st CENTURY*

📖 Summary

The Hare With Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal is a captivating biography and autobiography that uses a collection of 264 tiny Japanese wood and ivory carvings, known as netsuke, to trace the turbulent history of the author's remarkable family across a century. The journey begins when de Waal visits his great uncle Iggie's apartment in Tokyo and becomes completely entranced by these miniature sculptures, none of which are bigger than a matchbox. When he eventually inherits the netsuke, they serve as physical keys that unlock a sprawling, dramatic narrative far larger than he could have ever initially imagined. The book follows the objects' incredible geographical and historical trajectory, moving from a burgeoning empire in Odessa during the nineteenth century to the dazzling artistic world of fin de siecle Paris. From there, the narrative shifts to occupied Vienna during the darkest hours of European history, before finally returning to Tokyo. Along this global path, de Waal meticulously reconstructs the lives, fortunes, and tragedies of his ancestors, the Ephrussi family, who were once immensely wealthy and prominent European bankers and art collectors. As the century turns and the political landscape shifts dramatically toward antisemitism, war, and displacement, the family's fortunes plummet, and their magnificent art collections are scattered or seized. Yet the tiny netsuke manage to survive, passed down secretly through generations or hidden away from the destruction of the Holocaust. Through the lens of these small objects, the author explores profound themes of memory, material culture, loss, and endurance. The narrative is both an intimate family history and a sweeping historical panorama, demonstrating how inanimate objects can absorb the weight of human experiences, traumas, and triumphs. De Waal's background as a ceramicist deeply informs his writing, giving him a unique tactile sensitivity to the physical world and the craftsmanship of the past. Ultimately, The Hare With Amber Eyes is a literary masterpiece that bridges the gap between the microscopic details of craftsmanship and the macroscopic horrors and transformations of twentieth-century history, offering readers a poignant meditation on what survives the ravages of time.

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