Pico is a librarian in a city by the sea. He falls in love with a winged girl, but she rebuffs him because he does not have wings. Thus begins Pico’s journey through the forest, to the mountains, and into the desert, seeking The Book of Flying, which will give him wings.
I reveled in Pico’s fearful yet passionate journey. For a time, he loses his way in the beauty of books and the company of friends, but of course, it doesn’t end there. “Who knows how long he might have stayed in that city, cozy, dousing his guilt with wine, cauterizing it with tobacco, had the city remained static. But keep characters in propinquity long enough and a story will always develop a plot.”
I’ve heard it said that The Book of Flying by Keith Miller is about the transcendence of art, and that may be true. It is a fable written as tenderly and poetically as Pico’s heart, often reminding me of A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin. One of my all-time favorites, it sings to the heathen in me and to the yearning for something more.
Last Updated on December 16, 2025 | Published: September 15, 2008