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Categories: Science fiction Fantasy Mystery Romance Business Classic Sports Young adult Humor Memoirs See all categories... |
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Categories: Science fiction Fantasy Mystery Romance Business Classic Sports Young adult Humor Memoirs See all categories... |
Partisan Beppe Fenoglio captures in these twelve impressive stories just as much the peasant culture and way of life in the hilly region of The Langhe as he does the conflict between the Italian resistance and the fascists in and around Alba. He also doesn't make the resistance - or at least certain members: mostly arrogant, petty criminal young men and boys - to be heroes and saints. The most dramatic, battle-filled story was easily the title story, but I take nothing away from the rest of them. They were all, there or thereabouts, just as good. A writer that had only moderate success during his lifetime - he died in the early 60s aged 41, but I did see a resemblance here with the great Italo Calvino; who was also Fenoglio's friend. Had I not known who wrote this collection, my first thought would have been Calvino. Surprisingly, I learned that Fenoglio wrote first in English and then translated to Italian. He also had a thing for Oliver Cromwell, and wished he could have served in his army. There were even English characteristics in some of his Partisans. Still, this is very much the work of an Italian writing about WW2 Italians. I'll definitely be reading him again.