Novecento stays on the ship and, even when it is sent to scrap, the narrator tracks him down to the scrap yard, waiting on the ship, dynamite all ready to go.īaricco tells a wonderful story, sympathetic to his hero, his enclosed world and his music, without being mawkish. On the first two rounds, Novecento only plays ordinary tunes and Jelly Roll is easily able to prove his musical superiority but, on the final round, Novecento blows him away and Jelly Roll retires to his cabin and takes the next liner back to America. One day, Jelly Roll Morton, hearing of Novecento’s ability, decides to travel on the ship to see this young talent. His reputation spreads far and wide, despite the fact that he never leaves the ship. Novecento becomes the house musician and forms a band. Novecento is playing a strange sort of music on the piano, though no-one was aware that he could play at all. However, when they are safely at sea, the Captain is awakened by a strange music and, when he investigates, he finds Novecento, surrounded by many equally captivated passengers. They assume he has escaped and gone ashore and the ship again sets sail for America. However, when they dock, Novecento is nowhere to be found. His birth has never been registered and he has never even left the liner. The Captain decides that it is time that Novecento’s life be put in order. Ten years later, Danny sadly is injured and dies. He names him Novecento – Twentieth Century. One day he finds a newborn baby and, as no-one claims him, Danny claims him and brings him up. Lemon is a sailor on a transatlantic liner, the Virginian, at the beginning of the century. This is a very short novella, really nothing more than a short story but, as it was published separately, I have included it here. Home » Italy » Alessandro Baricco » Novecento Alessandro Baricco: Novecento

Alessandro baricco novecento