4 Italian Books For You to Read This Summer
As some of you might know Rosi is both our development manager and an Italian tutor here at Lingo Flamingo. Rosi was brought up in Pompeii and is an avid reader so here is a wee introduction into Italian literature and four of Rosi’s favourite books suitable for learners of all levels.
Italy has given the world a lot in all the artistic and cultural domains throughout the centuries, and Italian literature hasn’t been less inspiring and prolific than other art forms, even before Italy was Italy and Italian was the official language of this incredibly diverse and rich country. Authors like Dante, Petrarca and Boccaccio helped shape what we now call the Italian language and to this date Italian writers see their work translated in hundreds of languages and turned into Oscar winning movies.
As an avid reader myself and lover of all literary forms I am biased in saying that reading a book, a short story, a graphic novel in a second language can be an immersive, pleasant, and highly effective way to learn and gain linguistic mastery. There is also much more to reading in a foreign language than the understanding and translating words: it is all about the stories told, the perspectives of others and specifically the views that originate from a history, a time, a place and a mindset different to ours own; it’s all about seeing and perceiving things with the eyes and the mind of others, it’s all about immersing yourself completely in a different culture and becoming a little more foreign yourself.
Spoiled for choice…
When it comes to recommendations of amazing reads from my home country, we are spoiled for choice, whether you wish to read in a foreign language or in your own mother tongue. I am keen to share some tips about a variety of literary genres and a variety of difficulty levels for those who are also reading in Italian language. Some of my own favourite reads when I was growing up, are suited to beginner readers in Italian, but can be enjoyed at any age really as in all honesty I also pick them up again from time to time to immerse myself in those amazing stories for all ages.
Book 1: A modern classic graphic novel
“Favola a Venezia” or “Fable in Venice” by Hugo Pratt is a dreamy and surreal graphic novel. Hugo Pratt’s main character Corto Maltese loves Venice deeply, just like the author, and in this novel is searching for a magic book that has the power to evoke and tame demons. The reader is taken through last century Venice’s streets and canals and this magic itinerary amongst real and imaginative places in the city, has also inspired tourists to join guided excursions following Corto Maltese’s steps in Venice!
Book 2: For children and grown-ups
For beginner readers there are many classic tales that are accessible enough and highly entertaining. The hearth-warming and ever inspiring story of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi brings us to the beautiful Tuscany of the late 19th century. Many adaptations have been made for the movie and cartoon industry since its publication, but the original novel has elements of folk tales for children, with a protagonist who is an unlikely hero forced in an epic adventure of self-growth and rebirth, where love in its purest form triumphs in the end...what’s not to like!
Book 3: A true ghost writer
Looking at Italian literary phenomena of recent year the one of the anonymous and mysterious author Elena Ferrante cannot be missed….her Neapolitan stories, starting with “L’ amica geniale” (“My brilliant friend”) tell a story of Naples and Italy in the 20th century, the poverty of the South and the social changes that take place in the country as the two friends and protagonists grow up and live their lives, sometimes close to one another, sometimes far from each other, trying to make sense of their role as women, mothers and friends.
Book 4: An true Italian story
My last recommendation is not from an Italian author but is a well-researched and honestly told real life story of an amazing Milanese young man, Pino Lella, who at the age of 18 found himself caught in history and became General Hans Leyers driver and a spy for the Allied. The best seller book by Mark Sullivan “Beneath a Scarlet Sky” is a fairly accessible read in its Italian version “L’ultimo eroe sopravvissuto”. Whatever the language you may want to go for…this is a bittersweet story of courage, compassion and love that blossoms in the most unlikely circumstances. After finishing this book I felt like I had a fresh perspective of the final months of the second world war and on a lighter note I felt I knew quite a lot more about Milan and the North of Italy, so much so that I am now planning my next trip to Mila, the lakes, and the Alps!
Whatever your literary preferences I hope this will encourage you to read a little about “Il bel Paese”.
Written by: Rosi Mele