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Open windows to history and culture: Books and film adaptations illuminate Italian ways of life

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If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what is the worth of a book? Books are valuable in that they help us escape from our everyday lives and open up new worlds where we can learn about new things, people, and cultures. Italy has produced a plethora of writers who have penned novels which range from the classics to more contemporary authors who touch on many aspects of life in Italy.

From classics by Dante Alighieri, Francesco Petrarca, Giovanni Boccaccio, and Niccoló Machiavelli to more contemporary authors such as Elena Ferrante, Roberto Saviano, Alberto Moravia, Italo Svevo and Paolo Giordano, Italian authors have touched on a multitude of subjects which open windows into the history, art, science, and culture of Italy. Many of these works have been adapted for cinema and translated into English.

“I’m Not Scared” is about a 9-year-old boy and his friends who make a frightening discovery in the countryside. The 2003 film is based on the novel “No Ho Paura.”

For a great classical historical novel about Sicily, “The Leopard” by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa takes you through the tumult of Sicilian life and society during the period of the Risorgimento when Giuseppe Garibaldi, the leader of the famous Redshirts, swept through Sicily with his army. The story revolves around a Sicilian Prince, Fabrizio di Salina, who struggles to maintain the aristocratic life he has always known as he faces his “kingdom” being swallowed up by an impending unified Italy. It is a fascinating look at that period of time on the island and also may offer some insight into why families and communities feel they must first rely on each other before the government.

Tomasi was the last in a line of minor princes in Sicily. He first conceived of writing a historical novel in the 1930s based on his great-grandfather, Don Giulio Fabrizio Tomasi, another Prince of Lampedusa. The novel was published in 1958 under the title “Il Gattopardo,” which refers to the serval, a small species of cat found in Sub-Saharan Africa. This was the symbol on the Tomasi di Lampedusa coat of arms.

In the coming-of-age series “My Brilliant Friend,” a woman recalls the lifelong friendship and conflicts with a girl she met at primary school in Naples during the early 1950s.

Stefania Aucialso penned historical novels about Sicily with “I Leoni di Sicilia” in 2019 followed by “L’inverno dei leoni” in 2021. Both books center on the real-life Florio family in Sicily, who became one of the most prominent merchant families in Italy and Europe during the 1800s. The story follows not only the rise and waning of their power but also delves into the history, politics, fashion, and commerce of the times. The family originated from Bagnara Calabra and left after a series of earthquakes to settle in Palermo in 1799. Their businesses included the Florio Winery in Marsala and TheTonnara di Favignana, one of the largest tuna fisheries in the Mediterranean which closed in 1977. They were also the founders of the newspaper L’Ora and are credited with creating the Targa Florio, one of the oldest and longest car races in the world.

Italo Calvino was another prolific writer who based many of his novels on his experiences during World War II but also took his readers back to the 1300s with the book “The Name of The Rose.” Published in 1980 the novel was set in in anItalian monastery in the year 1327 with a thought-provoking story questioning the meaning of “truth” from a variety of religious, philosophical, intellectual, and historical perspectives. The story follows the clever friar William of Baskerville and the novice Adso as they investigate a series of suspicious deaths at the abbey. As they search for answers they must deal with the complex politics and controversies of the medieval church. His descriptions of monastic life bring to light the world of medieval Italy.

The 1963 historical drama “The Leopard” chronicles an aristocratic
family’s saga during the era of Italian reunification.

Set in the 1600s, “The Betrothed” (“I Promessi Sposi”) by Alessandro Manzoni tells the tale of two young lovers who are forbidden to marry by the local baron. They flee their homes and must face war, famine, and the plague before they are reunited again. The novel offers a detailed picture into a turbulent period in Italy’s history and is also noted for its lifelike portrayal of the real-life plague.

Carlo Collodi is another acclaimed writer who authored the original story of Pinocchio. Many of us think of the happy Disney movie version but the original novel has a darker tone. The story was first released in serial format in a weekly magazine for children in July 1881 and was later published as a book in 1883. This fantastical and highly acclaimed novel is set in Tuscany and has been translated into as many as 260 languages. If you want to delve into the original story, you will find it is packed full of adventure penned as a darker and menacing fairy tale written by the author to impart moral lessons to children.

Numerous Italian authors have written about the city of Naples. In recent years, Elena Ferrante has found remarkable success with her extremely popular four-series Neopolitan novels exploring the intricate depth of female friendships. The first novel in the series was “My Brilliant Friend”(“L’amica Geniale.” It was also the first of the novels to be adapted to the small screen.

The story begins in the 1950s in a poor but lively neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples. As they grow up on these troubled streets, the two friends Elena and Lila learn to count on each other before anyone or anything else. As they grow up their paths continually deviate and reconnect, they remain best friends whose destinies are intertwined. They are also the symbol of a country undergoing momentous change. This is the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country whose notable changes also spark shifts in the relationships between the two friends.

For those interested in the journey of millions of Italians who emigrated to the U.S., Melania Mazzucco authored the novel “Life” (“Vita”) in 2005. The story spans a century of time and blends both documentary evidence and fiction to capture the emigrant’s experience. It is a combination of stories and photographs which takes you into the lives of these people who left all they knew behind for a chance at a better life. Mazzucco also wrote “Limbo,” a story of a female sergeant returning from the war in Afghanistan, which offers a very different perspective on the conflict.

We have all seen movies and shows such as “The Godfather” and “The Sopranos” among others which depict the role of the Mafia in the history of crime in Italy. There are several authors who have written about crime, power, and politics in Italy. Perhaps the best known is Roberto Saviano who identifies more as a journalist than a novelist. Saviano’s detailed investigative journalism set off a firestorm with his publication of “Gomorrah in 2006. He received death threats from the Neapolitan crime syndicate and was placed under police protection in 2006. He continues to live a restricted life and has had his own legals troubles in recent years with his criticizing of various government officials. The consequences of his penning this novel is a story in itself.

Another extremely popular series of novels is those written by famed author Andrea Camilleri. He is the author of the series telling the saga of Inspector Montalbano, a charming, charismatic inspector who works in the fictional town of Vigata in Sicily who has become one of the best-loved characters in Italian contemporary literature. The mysteries – 28 in total – are told with a great deal of humor and explore the complex political and social issues that the island faces.

Another well-known crime novel which takes us back in time in rural Italy is the story “I Am Not Scared” (“No Ho Paura”) by Niccolo Ammaniti. This riveting novel follows the story of 9-year-old Michele Amitrano as he and five other children explore the deserted countryside during the hottest summer of the 20th century. Here among the golden wheat, Michele stumbles upon a secret so horrendous that he can’t bring himself to tell anyone. As he struggles to understand what he has found, the reader is drawn into a dual story of tragedy which involves the adults in the small and isolated community.

Taken from the pages of real life is the novel “Romanzo Criminale” written by Judge Giancarlo De Cataldo. It tells the story of a group of gangsters in 1970s Italy known as la banda della Magliana (an urban area of Rome). The group was founded in 1975 and was accused of being involved in drug dealing, horserace betting, money laundering, kidnapping, and several murders. They were also reportedly tied to various political factions. The author realistically describes the relationship between gangs and state government and depicts theanni di piombo(the years of lead), one of the darkest pages of Italian history.

Buona lettura!

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