Stories for the Years

Pirandello's stories are set in Sicily and Rome, exposing the human condition in all its fatalism, injustice, and raw beauty. Jewiss' translation is masterful and brings Pirandello's vivid prose and storytelling into English with great skill.

Format: Hardback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 04 September 2020
Publisher: Yale University Press

A literary masterpiece crafted by a renowned figure of the past century, brought to life by the talented hands of one of Italy's most esteemed translators. Jewiss has masterfully translated Pirandello's vibrant, colloquial prose and effortless storytelling into English, showcasing his remarkable skill in navigating the challenges of translating his vivid and captivating narrative into the English language.

Pirandello, hailed as one of Europe's great modernists, possessed an exceptional talent for storytelling as well as a keen eye for observing the intricate drama of everyday life. With a remarkable ear for dialogue and a profound understanding of the weighty burdens imposed by class, gender, and societal conventions, he crafted narratives that resonated deeply with his readers. Set in the author's birthplace of Sicily, where the arid terrain and remote villages served as a backdrop for the fragile inner worlds of his characters, and in Rome, where modern life threatened to erode centuries-old traditions, these original stories were infused with the rich lore of Italian folktales.

In "The Jar," a broken earthenware pot sets its owner, a quarrelsome landholder, against a mysterious inventor of a peculiar glue. "The Dearly Departed" tells the story of a young widow and her new husband on their honeymoon, haunted at every turn by the sly visage of the deceased. Pirandello's characters, a diverse array of individuals, including the scorned lover, the intransigent bureaucrat, the lonely mother, and the wretched peasant, expose the human condition in all its fatalism, injustice, and raw beauty. For lovers of Calvino and Pasolini, these picturesque stories serve as a poignant reminder of a bygone Italy, yet their recurring concerns continue to speak to us today, resonating with our contemporary experiences and perspectives.

Weight: 436g
Dimension: 136 x 204 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300150964