Adventurer Sylvain Tesson had a turbulent life and often indulged in dangerous adventures. But, as he was healing his broken heart for a long time from one severe accident, he realized that with time he came to be increasingly dissatisfied with life. Going to the mountains of Tibet, in search of the elusive snow leopard, turned out to be an effective remedy.
In order to have a chance to see this mythical beast, Tesson and his companions have to wait motionless for hours in silence, in the gusts of sharp wind and relentless cold. This task becomes an act of faith - many have unsuccessfully searched for the snow leopard for years. With anticipation, Tesson slowly learns to accept the virtues of patience and silence. Their effort is rewarded when the mountain spirit, the snow leopard, shows itself: it is the embodiment of all that we as humans have given up to live in today’s circumstances. The author shows us how a simple act of patiently waiting and observing is an effective antidote to the madness of our times.
The travel novel The Art of Patience: Seeking the Snow Leopard in Tibet is a celebration of the communion of nature and the human heart, and with this masterpiece Sylvain Tesson offers us a new story about the relationship between man and beast, in prose as sublime as the wilderness that inspired it.
* * *
"There is a beast in Tibet that I have been following for six years," Munier said. "He lives on the plateaus. You have to be patient until you notice it. I'm going back there again this winter, come with me. "
"What is it about?"
"The snow leopard," he said.
"I thought it was gone," I said.
"He wants us to think that."
* * *
Sylvain Tesson (Paris, 1972) is a French writer, journalist and travel enthusiast. He is the author of short stories, novels, many prefaces and film reviews. He has recorded several documentaries for the television channel France 5.
In the late 1990s, on Radio Courtoise, in collaboration with Alexander Poussin, he hosted a program dedicated to adventure. He has won several literary awards, including the Prix Médicis for the book Dans les forêts de Sibérie (In the Forests of Siberia) in 2011, and the 2019 Prize Renaudot for his travel novel The Art of Patience: Seeking the Snow Leopard in Tibet.
The Art of Patience: Seeking the Snow Leopard in Tibet is, after One Summer with Homer, Tesson's second book translated into Croatian.
- ISBN: 978-953-8075-98-8
- Dimensions: 125 x 200 mm
- Number of pages: 176
- Cover: paperback
- Year of the edition: 2021
- Original title: La Panthère des neiges
- Original language: French
- Translation: Dubravka Celebrini