3 Italian books that you should read – episode 1

This article will suggest you, our curious readers, 3 Italian books that you should read. Since Italian literature is so wide, you may not have heard of some of its masterpieces.

1. The king of funny books: Marcovaldo or The Seasons in the City

Marcovaldo or the Seasons in the City (original title : Marcovaldo o Le Stagioni in Città) is a collection of 20 short stories by the Italian writer Italo Calvino. It was originally published in 1963 by Einaudi.

Every story has a specific season as core theme and sees the protagonist, a middle-aged man named Marcovaldo, trying to find his happiness in the grey, cold, modern Italian metropolis.

For example, in the first story Marcovaldo finds some mushrooms close to his home. After, he fights with Amadigi, a street cleaner, to take them. They’re both poor and desire those delicacies. However, the mushrooms aren’t edible and they both end at the hospital finally.

Overall, Calvino hides a strong melancholy in his typical irony.

2. A book about the tragedy of a family: The House by the Medlar Tree (I Malavoglia)

Giovanni Verga published this book in the second part of the 19th century. It’s by far the most famous work in the book series I Vinti (The Conquered).

The story takes place in Sicily (Italy), following the vicissitudes of a poor fishermen family. At the beginning, a shipwreck causes the death of two members and the destruction of their ship, Provvidenza (“Providence”). Therefore, they find themselves in pain and unable to survive economically. This will only be the start of their misfortune.

3. The diary of a lost man: Zeno’s Conscience

The fictional diaries of Zeno Cosini are the most famous work of Italo Svevo. Truly, a masterpiece in which the protagonist reveals himself to his psychiatrist and, consequently, to the readers.

Surely, you’ll despise Zeno, you’ll like him and then you’ll despise him again. But, after all, would you be confident in showing your true self to someone else? In conclusion, it’s impossible not to connect with Mr. Cosini at all.

Resources:

• Unknown. I Malavoglia. Wikipedia. Last consultation: 17/09/21:
  https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Malavoglia
• Unknown. Marcovaldo ovvero Le stagioni in città. Wikipedia. Last consultation 15/07/21:
  https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcovaldo_ovvero_Le_stagioni_in_citt%C3%A0
• Unknown. La coscienza di Zeno. Wikipedia. Last consultation: 16/09/21:
  https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_coscienza_di_Zeno