Man of Smoke

Man of Smoke

Author	Aldo Palazzeschi
Original title	Il codice di Perelà
Language	Italian
Publisher	Edizioni futuriste di Poesia
Publication date	1911
Publication place	Italy
Published in English	1936
Pages	277

Man of Smoke (Italian: Il codice di Perelà, lit. 'The Code of Perelà') is a novel by the Italian writer Aldo Palazzeschi, first published by Edizioni futuriste di Poesia in 1911 and revised by the author in 1920, 1943 and 1954. The novel is a futurist social satire about a man who is made of light smoke, initially received as a bringer of a golden age and tasked with creating a new legal code, before the public turns against him. No legal code is laid out by the main character, but critics have discussed the possible existence of an enciphered code between the lines of the novel. Critical response has emphasised the novel's social themes and sense of humour.