The Little World of Don Camillo

This book was ridiculous in the best of ways. Don Camillo and his arch rival Peppone are great characters, the resolutions to the stories are funny, the interactions between the two and between Camillo and Christ are hilarious. I enjoyed the book from start to finish, although the second to last chapter/story seemed out of place dark compared to the others. Still, it set up for a wonderful resolution.

Cronache da un mondo niente affatto piccolo
ovvero:
Tornate a casa nani
levatevi davanti
per la mia rabbia enorme
mi servono giganti
(F.Guccini)

Forse dovrei avvertirvi di non fidarvi delle mie 4 stelle. Non leggo questo libro da almeno 25 anni, e l'affetto con cui lo ricordo potrebbe avermi causato le travveggole. Quello di cui sono sicura è che tutti i libri di Don Camillo mi hanno fatto ridere da morire, piangere e pensare, fin da bambina; cosa ancora più importante, mi hanno trasmesso il senso dell'importanza di vivere eticamente, il valore che la resistenza ha avuto nella formazione della parte migliore della società italiana, la possibilità che fra rivali e perfino nemici ci sia rispetto e convivenza se esiste l'onestà condivisa show more nella vita quotidiana, la menzogna insita nell'ammonimento che non si deve essere partigiani di un'idea. Grazie a un autore cattolico e anticomunista io, marxista fin da prima di cominciare a fumare, ho capito cosa ci distingue dai fascisti. Noi non ci proviamo gusto, a litigare col prossimo. Vogliamo vivere in pace, anche con chi ci sta sulle balle, ma la pace c'è solo con la giustizia sociale.
Sapete che vi dico? Da come mi ha portato lontano rispetto a quello che pensavo di scrivere in questa recensione, direi che Don Camillo le 4 stelle le merita. Altro che Mondo Piccolo. Altro che Italia provinciale e soffocante. Qui troverete scontri titanici fra forze politiche epocali, rabbia e amore, grandi sentimenti, cultura e classe contadina, il piano Marshall, Togliatti, De Gasperi, spiritualità e temi scottanti, solidarietà, tolleranza, risse e un carro armato conservato nel granaio. Ah, e guardate il film. Ve lo dico col cuore. Fatevi un regalo. show less

Don Camilo es un libro que se lee de principio a fin con una sonrisa en los labios. Es un ejemplo de equilibrio, quizá perfecto, entre comicidad y ternura. Una novela cómica que va mucho más allá de la caricatura. A aquellos que ya hayan leído la novela, esta nueva traducción realizada a las puertas del centenario del nacimiento del autor les permitirá volver a disfrutar las chispeantes, ingeniosas y frescas conversaciones entre el inolvidable cura don Camilo y su antagonista, el comunista Pepone. Y los que se enfrentan por vez primera a estos diálogos se encontrarán con la quintaesencia del humor italiano en estado químicamente puro; un humor que les asaltará desde un rincón, siempre inopinado. Les ocurrirá aquello que show more Borges decía de Chesterton, que “en cada página habita una felicidad”. show less

Set in a small Italian village soon after World War II, we see the priest Don Camillo repeatedly come up against his sworn enemy Peppone. Peppone is an atheist who is the head of the local Communist party and, therefore, against Christianity. Both are hotheads who are inclined to solve problems with their fists and the occasional Tommy gun before turning to more peaceful measures. One soon learns that both men quarrel because they are so much alike that neither will give way and that, when push comes to shove, they will work together for the common good.

Whenever Don Camillo is in over his head, he talks to Christ on the crucifix in his church. We get to hear Christ's wise advice and his occasional, necessary words of reproval as Don show more Camillo goes about shepherding the souls of the village.

At first because of the format and simplicity of some of the stories I mistakenly thought that these were simply light hearted tales, featuring simplistic morality. Nothing could be further from the truth. However, the simplicity is deceptive and the problems that the characters must solve are often true to life and painful. show less

This is a marvel. I adore the characters, and I am amazed at the depth of the world which is created with very simple story telling. We never hear about what the characters are thinking, but through their actions, we know them. I laughed through many of the stories, but had forgotten how deadly serious the book becomes at the end. Guareschi was not writing to amuse, but it was his cover, and a good one.

Guareschi shows the ugly side of humanity, but right along side of that is the beauty of humanity in the very strained relationship of the Communist Mayor of the town, Peppone, and the priest of the town, Don Camillo. They butt heads and war on ideology, but when it comes right down to it, they look out for each other and the town they show more live in. I adore the conversations between the Christ on the crucifix and Don Camillo, and the relationship they have. show less

Zbirka kratkih priča koje se odvijaju u jednom malom izmišljenom italijanskom seocetu, par godina nakon završetka II svetskog rata. Dok ulicama odjekuju zvuci Bandiera Rossa-e, meštani voze svoje bicikle i koče ih čas na ovaj, čas na onaj način, vijore se crvene zastave i marame, dva nekadašnja prijatelja i saborca vode svoj mali rat.

Don Kamilo seoski sveštenik i Pepone predsednik opštine su sada u teškoj zavadi zbog svojih suprotstavljenih ideologija i ne biraju sredstva kako bi jedan drugome podmetnuli nogu. Don Kamilo je okrenut zapadu - Americi i duboko posvećen svojoj religiji. Sa druge strane Pepone je okrenut istoku - Rusiji i duboko je posvećen Staljinu, Lenjinu i komunizmu. Za Don Kamila prioritet je narod, za show more Peponea njegova Komunistička Partija.

Iz priče u priču njih dvoje se sukobljavaju žestoko se zalažući za svoje interese. Međutim, kolika god da je njihova ideološka netrpeljivost, kada iskrsne pravi problem oni su u stanju da se ujedine i pomognu jedan drugome ili da zajedničkim snagama učine nešto za opšte dobro.

U gotovo svim pričama se pojavljuje i lik Isusa Hrista koji svojim savetima potpomaže Don Kamila. Hrist je u ovim pričama Don Kamilova savest, a možda je i pravi Hrist jer kako sam pisac reče na početku ove zbirke priča, u tom malom seocetu je sve moguće.

Ne treba izostaviti ni narod, te male prevrtljive ovčice koje ne znaju šta hoće i radije se priklanjaju sili na štetu sopstvenih interesa.

Ove kratke priče su u svojoj biti poučne, duhovite, satirične, kritičke, tragikomične i povremeno mučne. Pisac u njima odlično oslikava te prve godine posleratnog doba u Italiji i zbivanja opisana u njima su veoma slična zbivanjima u posleratnoj Jugoslaviji, stoga one imaju izvestan značaj za čitaoce sa ovih balkanskih prostora. show less

How can the rhetoric of communism and catholicism be aligned? To overcome the problems created by the abyss between the two different set of ideals is the task the author gives his two main characters, the communist leader and the catholic priest. From the fact that both the priest and the communist are quick to action, Guareschi´s comedy arises. A comedy that got Italy laughing at themselves at a critical time in their history - at a time when splitting tragedy easily could have flourished. And alignment? Is it possible to bridge an idological abyss? Well, it demands practical love and common sense for a start - but most of all, for the book to have the effect it had when first published, it is only possible when the author, as well show more as the readers - both communists and christians - have a keen sense of la divina comedia - and the ability to laugh at themselves, and cry, and laugh and.....

Even if both communists and christians are marginalised as players on the field today, the main issue remains - as well as Guareschi´s answer. show less