Vitaliano Brancati (1907–1954)

An old novel, Brancati deceased in the fifties, but still a vibrant story about Italians, so beautiful, so sexy, so .... unable to do what seems to dominate their life. Set behind the background of the uprising of fascism in Italy and eventually WWII, it's all about arranging a job, a marriage, an affair, a ... whatever.
It's Italy, more specific Sicily, as we all know it from the past where nothing was done in an ordinary way but everything was arranged.
And then comes this man, the most show more beautiful of all and ..... he's not able to "perform". The world keeps on turning but for our protagonist everything stops.
Written with vivacity, humour, long and winding monologues full of Italian bravery and then again with hilarious scenes, confessions, bluffing.... Every page of this book breathes the south, the Italian style of living, having conversations and avoiding reality.
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This pretty old book (1942), is depicting the "Don Juan" in the Sicilian man, living in a world dominated by this thoughts, ideas about women, dreams about them .... without coming to reality. So there are some rather funny scenes but upon taking a closer look the funny aspect makes place for sadness, solitude and a grande tristesse.
No that one starts to feel sorry for the protagonist, it's too pathetic.
Make no mistake, this is the author's goal, to describe the pathetic, piteous aspects in show more the men their attitude towards the women. But the style is too old to still be very attractive to nowaday readers. show less

En mästare av upprepningar i dialoger som kunde ha kortats ned med 80%. Verkligen inte min kopp av te det här.

Portrait et vie de "Paolo le chaud-bouillant", jeune homme sicilien bien né et cynique, dans sa bourgade conformiste et rassie de préjugés. Le film tiré du livre est magnifique, avec un Giancarlo Gianini (l'acteur) extraordinaire.