Gilbert Silvester, a private lecturer and beard researcher involved in a university third-party funding project, is in shock. Last night, he dreamed that his wife was cheating on him. In an absurd impulsive act, he leaves her, boards the first available plane, and travels to Japan to gain some distance. There, he comes across the travel writings of the classical poet Basho, and suddenly he has a goal: like the old wandering monks, he too wants to see the moon over the Pine Islands. On the historic pilgrimage route, he could lose himself in the contemplation of nature and leave his inner turmoil behind. But even before the journey begins, he encounters the student Yosa, who is traveling with a very different reading material, the Complete Manual of Suicide. The Pine Islands is a novel of masterful lightness: profound, humorous, thrilling, and heartfelt.