Giovanni Verga Livres

Giovanni Carmelo Verga, an influential Italian realist writer, is celebrated for his vivid portrayals of Sicilian life. His notable works include the iconic short story "Cavalleria rusticana" and the novel "I Malavoglia." Starting his literary journey in his teens, he published the historical novel "Amore e Patria" and later explored themes of social struggle and regional identity in "I carbonari della montagna" and "Sulle lagune." Verga's writing reflects his deep connection to Sicily and its culture, establishing him as a key figure in Italian literature.

The book features a faithful reproduction of the original work, preserving its content and essence. This edition offers readers an opportunity to experience the text as it was initially presented, maintaining the authenticity and historical significance of the original publication. Perfect for those interested in literature, history, or the preservation of classic works, this reproduction invites exploration and appreciation of its timeless themes and insights.

Italy has a long history of short story writing -going back to Boccaccio (d. 1375) - and most of Italy's major writers produced collections of novelle. One of the greatest exponents is Giovanni Verga. The themes of his major novels are to be found in his short stories. Verga embraced verismo, the Italian form of French naturalism, where authorial comment and description is at a minimum. He creates an atmosphere and emotions in his writing which transcend the world of his characters, mainly Sicilian fishermen and peasants, and which give it a lyrical almost epic character. Although Verga writes about a small enclosed world, his work has universal appeal, touching the heart without lecturing or sentimentalising. This volume offers a wider and more varied selection of Verga's prose than has been published in English before and has been taken from four collections published between 1876 and 1887.

Also including the well-known stories She-Wolf' and Foxfur', A Life in the Country captures, in an objective, non-judgemental prose, the difficult conditions and personal struggles of the peasant class in his native Sicily at the turn of the twentieth century.

Set against the backdrop of Catania, Sicily, during the Italian Risorgimento, the narrative follows Maria, a young woman constrained by societal and economic pressures that lead her to a convent. Her fleeting romance with a neighbor's son, sparked during a cholera outbreak, is short-lived, plunging her into a cycle of despair. The story explores themes of unfulfilled love, mental decline, and the harsh realities faced by women of the era, ultimately leading to Maria's tragic fate.

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century Sicily, these stories reflect the harsh realities of life in one of Europe's poorest regions during Giovanni Verga's youth. Verga's writing is characterized by its swift and economical style, immersing readers directly into the narrative. Each tale reveals a dark, ironic twist, offering a poignant commentary on the human condition. The simplicity of his prose contrasts sharply with the complex emotions and bitter resolutions that unfold, leaving readers surprised by the depth of each story.

On the face of things, Mastro Don Gesualdo is a success. Born a peasant but a man' with an eye for everything going', he becomes one of the richest men in Sicily, marrying an aristocrat with his daughter destined, in time, to wed a duke. But Gesualdo falls foul of the rigid class structure of mid-19th century Sicily. His title Mastro Don, 'Worker Gentleman', is ironic in itself. Peasants and gentry alike resent his extraordinary success. And when the pattern of society is threatened by revolt, Gesualdo is the rebels' first target.

The stories of Giovanni Verga (1840-1922) are wonderful evocations of ordinary Italian life, focusing in particular on his native, Sicily. In an original and dynamic prose style, he portrays such eternal human themes as love, honour and adultery with rich and colourful language.

Three generations of fishermen conduct an epic struggle against nature, fate, and society in this tale by realist writer Giovanni Verga. Written in 1881 and set in the Sicilian village of Aci Trezza during the 1860s, the novel recounts an impoverished family's attempts to pay off a crushing debt, to reclaim their lost boat and ancestral home, and to reunite their scattered clan.