Giorgio Bassani
1962
Around 250 pages
The novel wasted no time informing us that the entire Finzi-Contini family died in the Holocaust. Our story begins with our narrator visiting the family's mausoleum. Of course, I had seen the movie for my other mistress, the 1001 Movies List, so I already aware this was going to be an upsetting read.
We then return to the narrator's childhood, and his relationship with the Jewish Finzi-Contini family as Mussolini rises to power. This involves a deep friendship with the son Alberto and an unrequited crush on the daughter Micol.
Human beings can adapt to any circumstances, and it's crazy to read about what became "normal" under the racial laws of fascist Italy. Unlike a work by somebody like Primo Levi, Bassani isn't outlining the horrors of the concentration camps. Instead, the terrible fate of the characters hangs over the story, imbibing ordinary childhood moments with deep horror.
Definitely not an easy read, and I find these novels difficult to shake. More difficult to shake than our novels that strive to be as disgusting as possible. So it's hard for me to recommend it, but of course it's a powerful story.
RATING: ****-
Interesting Facts:
Interesting Facts:
According to Bassani, 183 Jews living in Ferrara were deported to German concentration camps.
Film adaptation won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
UP NEXT: Girl With Green Eyes by Edna O'Brien
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