Given that there's a higher percentage of books I really want to read on this list than on any of the previous ones and that I'm still salivating over not yet purchased novels by Dino Buzzati and Elsa Morante not to mention countless Italian Renaissance works, I think Italian lit will probably join French lit and Spanish lit as some sort of reading project in 2011 lit for me. More on that in a perennially vague while. Until then, totals to date are as follows: Italy (12) + Spain (24) + Argentina (47) + France (32) = 115 books in the TBR.
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1) Boccaccio, Giovanni. The Decameron (Penguin Classics) [partially read].2) Calvino, Italo. If on a winter's night a traveler (Harvest) [partially read].
3) Castiglione, Baldesar. The Book of the Courtier (Penguin Classics).
4) Manzoni, Alessandro. The Betrothed (Penguin Classics).
5) Massimo, Valerio. Manfredi (Oscar Mondadori).
6) Mazzantini, Margaret. Non ti muovere (Oscar Mondadori).
7) Moravia, Alberto. Contempt (NYRB Classics).
8) Pirandello, Luigi. The Late Mattia Pascal (NYRB Classics).
9) Sciascia, Leonardo. To Each His Own (NYRB Classics).
10) Sorba, Pietro. Bodegones de Buenos Aires (Planeta).
11) Svevo, Italo. As a Man Grows Older (NYRB Classics).
12) Vasari, Giorgio. The Lives of the Artists (Oxford World's Classics).
Entradas
Buzzati's Deserto dei Tartari is one of the most impressive books I have ever read. I haven't read Elsa Morante yet but got some of her books. La Storia etc. but you have others on the list I have on my TBR pile. I think an Italian read along would be something I would enjoy a lot or a challenge. Must explore the Mr Winky thing. Italian books make the biggest chunk among my top favourites (mostly not on your list though, Pavese, Bassani, Tabucchi, Montefoschi). I want to read Primo Levi next year. The Moravia on your list is that La noia? Outstanding as well.
ResponderBorrarAs long as you're heading into Italian books, might I recommend "The Periodic Table" by Primo Levi. It's a memoir, which ordinarily is anathema to me, but it is organized by elements of the periodic table, and the themes of each chapter reflect the qualities of the element chosen. It's a brilliant effort, and the English translation has been praised quite highly.
ResponderBorrarOn another note, I finally realized the congruence between Prufrock and Divine Comedy. ("Let us go then, you and I...") I had always just ignored the quote from Dante in the beginning of the poem, but the other day, I had an epiphany at last. Duh.
Sí una noche de invierno un viajero de Calvino , es un muy buen libro , creo que es lo mejor que he leído del autor por sobre ciudades invisibles o el vizconde…
ResponderBorrarEl difunto Matías Pascal un libro irónico. Muy bueno.
"More on that in a perennially vague while."
ResponderBorrarI'm eager for this while to standout in sharp relief!
K
How has the Decameron been? I've been wanting to read it for years, every since I was studying the influences on Chaucer. His opening description of the plague, as I remember, is quite horrific. I don't remember if Chaucer took anything from the Decameron for the Canterbury Tales, but he did use a lesser work called Filocolo, which is a little week.
ResponderBorrarI haven't read Contempt, but I was impressed by the Conformist. I read it after watching the movie, and I found it much more sympathetic to its characters.
I ve a italian reading week in January just got Buzzatis tatar steppes to read as well may turn into a fortnight ,all the best stu great list richard look forward to you reviews of them
ResponderBorrarHave both the Calvino and Moravia myself, and always full of the best intentions to get to them. This is a yummy list. The only other Italian title on my shelves right now is The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano of which I know next to nothing. Gift.
ResponderBorrarOooh, I've been eyeing a couple Elsa Morante books myself...
ResponderBorrarThe Cairo Trilogy read-along begins this month? I thought I had missed it!
ResponderBorrarHey, a list I've actually mostly read. Lard it with enough old books and that's more likely.
ResponderBorrarI second Caroline - an Italian readalong, please. Scottish Challenge rules, of course.
I'd love to join you in some Italian reading. Ah, my beloved homeland.
ResponderBorrarHow did I forget about The Lives of the Artists? That seemed constantly mentioned in every art history class I had in school. (Yet I've never read a thing from it.) I've read some of The Decameron, but only have an abbreviated edition. I'm not familiar with most of the rest, although I do see a couple on my list. I guess that's more books to look up!
ResponderBorrar*Caroline: I'd actually like to read all those authors you mention except for Montefoschi, whose only crime is that I know nothing about him/her. Someday, someday! And the Buzzati title you mention is the one I will buy for sure the next time I see it. An Italian readalong or challenge? Very tempting! Hmm...
ResponderBorrar*Jill: I've got nothing against memoirs myself, and that Levi sounds fascinating--thanks for the tip! Funny to hear about your epiphany, but I'd be ashamed (well, almost) to tell you how long it's been since I read that Eliot poem. I think Carter or "Raygun" was President!
*Leox: ¡Hola! y gracias por confirmar que esos libros son tan buenos: por supuesto, tengo muchas ganas de leerlos (serán mi segundo Calvino y mi primer Pirandello). ¡Saludos!
*Kevin: Ha ha, I'll see what I can do then--thanks for the laugh!
*Bythefirelight: I did a few posts on The Decameron, which has been a blast, earlier in the year, but then I got this stupid idea in my head that I wanted to finish The Divine Comedy first and promptly forgot to get back to it. I'd call it a must-read if you dug The Canterbury Tales, though. As for The Conformist, I enjoyed the movie but have yet to read the book. Interesting to hear about that difference you point out, though.
*Stu: I'm getting a huge kick out of seeing how The Tartar Steppe is on the verge of becoming the new underground sensation in the blog world--guess I better start reading it soon! Looking forward to your Italian week or fortnight as well. Cheers!
ResponderBorrar*Frances: I've heard wildly varying opinions on the Giordano book, a book that prob. would have ended up on my TBR at one point except my local foreign language bookstore wanted upwards of 40 bucks for the Italian hardback when it first came out. I decided to wait for the English translation and then lost interest, ha ha.
*Emily Jane: History's the one I'm after by Morante first, but I'll need to polish off a few other chunksters before I consider that.
*E.L. Fay: Man, where have you been during all the planning sessions?!? No worries, you're still early for the festivities. :D
*Amateur Reader: Although an Italian readalong's a great idea and you're certainly a very persuasive fellow, I'm not sure even you are persuasive enough to make me want to take on the absolute beast of a workload that the Scottish Challenge rules would require. Are you daft?!? An Italo-Argentine reading thing with a modified version of the Scottish Challenge rules would be quite sweet, though, don't you think? Will have to ponder that one...
*Bellezza: Will keep you posted if anything along the readalong lines come up. Have been very excited to see how dear Italian lit is to everyone's hearts this weekend!
ResponderBorrar*Amanda: Speaking of the Vasari book, have you ever read Benvenuto Cellini's Autobiography? An absolutely amazing read that I keep forgetting to suggest as a candidate for your own Italian reading list. Happy reading!
Richard, no I haven't read that. It sounds fascinating, though, so I'll have to add it.
ResponderBorrarScottish challenge rules sound frightening (no clue what it is, though). I was thinking of something more Mediterranean (after all I am half French half Italian that must count for something) like 12books/12 months. How's that?
ResponderBorrarI love Calvino! No Eco though? I suppose you have plenty without him ;)
ResponderBorrar*Amanda: Cool--hope you get a kick out of it! I really liked it.
ResponderBorrar*Caroline: The tough part about Amateur Reader's Scottish Challenge rules is that he agreed to read one Scottish book each as chosen by all the other participants. A great boon for discussions. A potential disaster for his own reading time/obligations (especially if someone picked a dud, but I'm not sure that anybody did)! Your Mediterranean Challenge sounds eminently reasonable, and you could put three continents into play with that idea. I like it!
*Stefanie: I like Eco OK, but I just don't own anything unread by him at the moment...although I might have one nonfiction book by him in an out of sight stash that you just reminded me of with your question. Oh, no! :D