Tree of Codes

Tree of Codes is a unique literary experiment created by Jonathan Safran Foer through the physical excavation of Bruno Schulz's The Street of Crocodiles. By cutting away select words from Schulz's original text, Foer crafts an entirely new narrative while transforming the physical book into a sculptural work. The production of this book required specialized printing techniques that only one Belgian printer, die Keure, could accomplish. Its distinctive construction method necessitated a paperback format, as the intricate die-cut pages could not support hardcover binding. The work has transcended its literary origins to inspire a ballet adaptation featuring choreography by Wayne McGregor, music by Jamie xx, and visual design by Olafur Eliasson. The ballet premiered at the 2015 Manchester International Festival before moving to New York's Park Avenue Armory. Tree of Codes exists at the intersection of literature and visual art, exploring themes of absence and presence while questioning the boundaries between original creation and artistic transformation.

Readers view Tree of Codes primarily as an art object or experimental piece rather than a traditional novel. Many readers struggle to categorize it. Readers appreciated: - The physical craftsmanship and die-cut construction - The way the cutouts create multiple layers of meaning - How it makes them reconsider what defines a book - The poetic quality of the fragmentary text Common criticisms: - Difficult and frustrating to read physically - Limited narrative coherence - High price point for a short work - Some found it gimmicky rather than meaningful Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (90+ ratings) Reader quotes: "Beautiful object but nearly impossible to actually read" - Goodreads reviewer "More an art piece than a book" - Amazon reviewer "The physical format enhances the fractured narrative" - LibraryThing reviewer "Interesting concept but exhausting to get through" - Goodreads reviewer

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⭐ Using a die-cutting technique, each page of "Tree of Codes" was individually cut by hand in the testing phase, requiring over 100 hours of meticulous work before the final mechanized process could be developed. ⭐ The source text, "The Street of Crocodiles" by Bruno Schulz, was published in 1934. Tragically, Schulz was murdered by a Nazi officer in 1942, leaving behind only two completed works. ⭐ The ballet adaptation by Wayne McGregor premiered at the Manchester International Festival in 2015, featuring music by Jamie xx and visual effects by artist Olafur Eliasson. ⭐ Only one copy of the book could be produced every 15 minutes due to the complex die-cutting process, making it one of the most technically challenging books ever mass-produced. ⭐ Jonathan Safran Foer spent months creating a digital version first, using Microsoft Word to eliminate words and create his new narrative, before translating it into the physical die-cut format.