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West of Rome’s two novellas, “My Dog Stupid” and “The Orgy,” fulfill the promise of their rousing titles. The latter novella opens with virtuoso description: “His name was Frank Gagliano, and he did not believe in God. He was that most singular and startling craftsman of the building trade-a left-handed bricklayer. Like my father, Frank came from Torcella Peligna, a cliff-hugging town in the Abruzzi. Lean as a spider, he wore a leather cap and puttees the year around, and he was so bowlegged a dog could lope between his knees without touching them.”
ASIN : B003L780PG
Editore : HarperCollins e-books (19 maggio 2010)
Lingua : Inglese
Dimensioni file : 281 KB
Da testo a voce : Abilitato
Screen Reader : Supportato
Miglioramenti tipografici : Abilitato
X-Ray : Non abilitato
Word Wise : Abilitato
Memo : Su Kindle Scribe
Lunghezza stampa : 137 pagine
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‘West of Rome’ was published posthumously in 1986. It comprises of two novellas: ‘My Dog Stupid,’ and ‘The Orgy.”My Dog Stupid’ is a novella, set in late 60s/early 70s California. Italian American, Henry Molise is an out-of-work screenwriter and novelist. He lives with his wife and 4 grown-up children. He has countless chips on his angry and weary, 55 year-old shoulders.Henry is rude, loud, cantankerous and bitter. If he has a filter, it’s buried and covered in dust, unused. He has racist views (his son’s new girlfriend is black), and he says terrible things to his wife who has left him more than once.He comes home one night to find a dog asleep in his garden; a huge Japanese Akita. The dog decides to take over the house (he doesn’t give them a choice) and they very grudgingly take him in. One of the children decide to name him ‘Stupid’ due to his . . . well, because he’s stupid.It doesn’t help the family unease that he mounts every male dog that he encounters. He doesn’t just stop at dogs, human males get the same, messy treatment too!The dog acts as a catalyst and blamed for everything that goes wrong with the family, as the children slowly fly the nest, leaving Henry and his wife on their own.Is it the dog or Henry that’s at fault?This is one of the best short works I’ve ever read. As with most of Fanteâs writing it’s autobiographical, as the author and Henry Molise pretty much share the same life and views. The racist remarks grate as you read. As an Italian American, Fante experienced much prejudice against him as he grew up in America, and it’s obviously left a scar, but it’s still stings to read Henry ‘s (and his wifeâs) casual racism.I don’t think I would have liked to meet Fante in person, he was notoriously bitter, angry, and confrontational. But he is a wonderful storyteller.Stupid did finally meet the love of his life but . . right sex, wrong species. Fantastic story.’The Orgy’ for the record, is the most misleading title ever for a story. It’s about a young boy growing up in the 1920s and working for his father in his building business. The boy meets his father’s best friend who his deeply Catholic mother hates, and sprinkles with holy water whenever he comes near the house. The boy eventually sees another side to his beloved father as his ungodly friend leads him into hellish ways. It’s a sad and sweet tale of betrayal and growing up too quickly. It’s brilliantly written and full of Fante’s trademark Catholic guilt in hard times.
Lire ces deux histoires alors quâon est sur place aux Ãtats Unis est un must. On lit les pages et on se promène là où ça se passe. Le chien stupid est attachant. LâOrgie est effrayante. Tout ceci relu presque trente depuis la dernière fois donne une nouvelle perspective. Bonne lecture.
Not that I don’t love reading about Fante’s alter ego, it’s just a nice change of pace. Although this is yet another alter ego, just with a different name. The narrative of an older writer with four adult children that live with him and his wife. Not sure how much this resembles his real life, i have the feeling, like much of his other work, that the story closely resembles his life. My favorite character is a seemingly homosexual rogue dog that comes to make his home with the writer, much to the displeasure of his wife and daughter. The story does take a strange left turn and veers suddenly in the last part of the book back to the narrators childhood(colorado again). Still, the best Fante book I’ve read, though I need to read Ask the Dust again(it’s been to many years). Cheers!!
John Fante talent was not has yet to be fully realized. West of Rome is even better than his Ask the Dust the Book that brought him finally some notice posthumously. I highly recommend reading Fante material especially West of Rome. For Bukowski fans their a must . Enjoy .
Two incredibly powerful novellas from the most important American writer of his generation. I love John Fante, I love his prose and the guilt of Catholicism he laces throughout his work. Greater appreciation of WEST OF ROME can be found the more you encounter the man’s work. Truly magnificent.