Book Overview
Giovanni Verga (1840-1922) is the most important of the Italian Realist School of novelists. This new edition of The House by the Medlar Tree (I Malavoglia) makes the complete English version of his masterpiece available once more. The story of the Malavoglia, a family of poor Sicilian fisherman, is Verga's moving rendering of the theme of mankind's struggle for self-betterment, the dignity of the struggle in the face of poverty and hardship, and the tragedy that the struggle inevitably incurs.
D. H. Lawrence described Vega's work as "Homeric." Rayond Rosenthal's translation of I Malavoglia is the only complete version of this novel in English and conveys Vega's lyrical realism and the flavor of Sicialian village life superbly.
The book is introduced by Giovanni Ceccheti, whose own translations of Verga, Mastro-don Gesualdo and The She-Wolf and Other Stories, are also available from California.
D. H. Lawrence described Vega's work as "Homeric." Rayond Rosenthal's translation of I Malavoglia is the only complete version of this novel in English and conveys Vega's lyrical realism and the flavor of Sicialian village life superbly.
The book is introduced by Giovanni Ceccheti, whose own translations of Verga, Mastro-don Gesualdo and The She-Wolf and Other Stories, are also available from California.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0520048504
ISBN13:9780520048508
Release Date:March 1984
Publisher:University of California Press
Length:275 Pages
Weight:0.70 lbs.
Dimensions:0.7" x 5.5" x 8.2"
Customer Reviews
3 ratings
My family history in a novel
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 14 years ago
This novel was written in 1889 and set in 1863 in a Sicilian fishing village within walking distance of Verga's native Catania. My paternal great-grandparents spent their lives in a similar village on the northern coast of Sicily. Reading this novel brought back my Grandmother's voice telling stories of the fishermen with variations on the proverbs, superstitions, Catholicism and village gossip of Verga. In Verga's novel, ownership of the house is lost through payment of a debt to preserve the Malavoglia's family honor. In my family, the two fishing boats were sold to protect the family honor from a false accusation. In the Cambridge Companion to the Italian Novel, Verga is written about extensively in a chapter about realism. This book is a delightful validation of social history in post-unification Sicily. These peasants were hard-workers whose family and religion gave meaning to their lives.
Italian historical novel
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
If you wondered what life was like in Southern Italybefore our relatives all decided to leave, read this book.In a non-maudlin manner, the author describes life in this little town, social mores and attitudes from a long ago time.Well translated, easy to read. Very touching book. An interesting study in family dynamics and the life of a small community.
THE HEART OF SOUTH-ITALY
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
"I Malavoglia" is one of the most beautiful novels about the life in South-Italy in 19th century. I personally am grown up on the countryside in South-Italy and, even if I live a century later than the Malavoglia, I still can find in the place where I live some of the colours and sounds that I love in this book. Someone may find the style disturbing, because of the lack of participation by the writer, but it is something Verga purposedly tried to achieve ( it is the Realism ), and it should not prevent you from enjoying the story told in this book ( even if it is a sad story, like are all the stories, that try to be truthfull). If you really want to get nearer to the heart of such a beautiful country like Italy ( and especially South-Italy)is you really should read this book.
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