Olivia Laing's novel "The Silver Book" is set in 1974 Italy during the Years of Lead, following Nicholas Wade, a young Slade graduate who becomes the lover and apprentice of costume and set designer Danilo Donati. Donati is working on Federico Fellini's "Casanova" and Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Salò," and the story explores their creative and erotic relationship against a backdrop of political turmoil. Laing's prose is vignetted and elliptical, focusing on daily acts of filmmaking and the sensual world of the characters.
The novel matters because it intertwines queer eroticism with art-making, arguing that an artist's work is inseparable from its historical moment. Laing, known for arts writing, uses visual art references and a light touch with third-person narration to capture desire and creativity. The book offers a fresh perspective on a fraught era, emphasizing how personal relationships and artistic labor reflect broader cultural and political forces.