These stories, by one of the rising stars of Estonian literature, depict ordinary people undergoing extraordinary metamorphoses; it is not only their own lives that are changed forever, but also those of the bystanders drawn in by their fascinating particularities.

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In “The Butterfly Man”, a small-time, self-effacing magician is hired to join a circus – not on account of his negligible conjuring skills, but because of the exotic butterflies that peel away from him when his emotions are excited.

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The night watchman in “The Beauty Who Had Seen It All”, a man of base, amoral inclinations, discovers the power of invisibility – and seduces a beautiful woman with jaded tastes.

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“The High Season” tells of an aloof, cantankerous poet whose devotees remain protective of him even at a distance, guarding him at a local café where he drinks endless cups of coffee and becomes a fixture – literally.

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(translated by Adam Cullen and Tiina Randviir)