The Weight of a Butterfly

A much loved classic of nature writing and mountain-lovers.

In a remote mountain wilderness, two kings—the mighty ruler of the chamois and a solitary, aging poacher—face the twilight of their reigns. The chamois king, a creature of unparalleled strength and grace, senses his legacy slipping away as a younger generation rises to challenge him. The poacher, a man shaped by the harshness of the mountains and haunted by his own past, is determined to claim the ultimate trophy before winter closes in. 

Their lives converge in an extraordinary encounter that transforms predator and prey into mirror reflections of mortality, survival, and the unyielding passage of time. With poetic prose and a profound meditation on life and loss, The Weight of the Butterfly explores the fragile bond between man and nature, where even the smallest creature—a white butterfly—can tip the scales of fate. 

A philosophical novel of the raw beauty of untamed landscapes.

Erri De Luca, with his typical linguistic precision, reinterprets a timeless scene: the duel between a solitary hunter and the king of the chamois. 

Rights sold
France (Gallimard)
Israel (Hakibbutz Hameuchad)
Spain (Seix Barral/Bromera)
Sweden (Elisabeth Grate Bokforlag)
Film