Utz Summary
Bruce Chatwin

Utz Summary

Utz keeps a fabulous collection of Meissen porcelain crammed into a tiny two-room flat. He is the perfect source for a story about the psychology of the collector. Through the Nazis and the communists, Utz has sacrificed to hold onto his porcelains because life is what he feels in their company, not what he does to keep them. His collection disappears after his death. The ensuing search illuminates Utz in a more revealing light, without solving the mystery. Did Utz's collection give him wisdom and long life, like porcelain gave Chinese emperors? Did he give life to his porcelains, like Rabbi Loew to his golem? Where is his collection?

The story begins with Utz's funeral, a spectacle from anticommunist farce, with a cleaning lady in the aisle who refuses to stop scrubbing so the casket can pass. There are only two mourners, Utz's friend Dr. Orlik and his devoted servant... View more of the Utz Summary