Conversations in Sicily

Conversation in Sicily
Author(s)	Elio Vittorini
Original title	Conversazione in Sicilia
Translator	Alane Salierno Mason
Country	Italy
Language	English
Genre(s)	Fiction
Publisher	Cannongate
Publication date	1941, 2000, 2003
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
ISBN	1841954500
OCLC Number	56645056

Conversazione in Sicilia first appeared in serial form in Letteratura in 1938, and was first published as the novel Nome e Lagrime in 1941. The story concerns Silvestro Ferrauto and his return to Sicily after a long absence. The work contains a foreword & afterword by Ernest Hemingway. "Conversazione in Sicilia" literally translates as Conversation in Sicily; the translator took the liberty of pluralising the title.

The major themes of the work include detachment, poverty, exploitation and marital fidelity & respect.

Plot summary

Silvestro Ferrauto is a Sicilian working as a typesetter in Milan, who beset by strange feelings of hopelessness, decides to visit Sicily after receiving a letter from his father which reveals that the father has abandoned Ferrauto's mother. Ferrauto has not visited Sicily since leaving at the age of 15 and ends up on the train to Sicily apparently without conscious thought. Ferrauto then has various conversations with a number of Sicilians on the way to, and in, Sicily. His return to Sicily and his new understanding of his mother from an adult point of view seems to calm his hopelessness. In a drunken state he seems to have a conversation with his dead brother, or at the age he was when he was alive. The novel closes with his father sobbing in the kitchen whilst the mother scrubs his feet.

Characters

• Silvestro Ferrauto - the protagonist
• The Father - appears in the end while his mother is washing his feet
• The Wife - never appears in person
• Sicilian orange pickers - first conversation is with a Sicilian labourer
• "With Whiskers" - a Sicilian on the train, a state functionary
• "Without Whiskers" - a Sicilian on the train, a state functionary
• The Big Lombard - a Sicilian on the train
• Concezione Ferrauto - the mother
• Grandpa - the father of the mother, deceased
• Calogera - the Knife Grinder
• Ezechiele - the saddlemaker
• Porfirio - the drapier
• Colombo - the vintner
• Liborio - the brother, deceased

Literary significance and criticism

The novel is usually interpreted by critics as either a criticism of fascist Italy, disguised by the use of allegoric figures and by the adoption a non-realistic style, or as the chronicle of a dream-like voyage. Themes revolving around social injustice, which will be central in Vittorini's future work, are already present.

The protagonist and author share many of the same experiences - growing up in a railway family, travelling widely by rail around Sicily and Italy, working in northern Italy as a typesetter, and illness.

Adaptation

The novel serves as the basis for Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet's film Sicilia!.

Footnotes

• Conversations in Sicily, Elio Vittorini, translated by Alane Salierno Mason

This article about a European novel is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: 1938 novels Italian novels Novels set in Sicily Novels first published in serial form European novel stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР Hyacinthe-Louis de Quélen Commercial property Look at other dictionaries: Sicily — Sicile Sicile Information …   Wikipédia en Français Elio Vittorini — (July 23, 1908 February 12, 1966) was an Italian writer and novelist. He was a contemporary of Cesare Pavese and an influential voice in the modernist school of novel writing. His best known work is the anti fascist novel Conversations in Sicily …   Wikipedia Messina — This article is about the city in Sicily, Italy. For the city in South Africa, see Musina. For other uses, see Messina (disambiguation). Messina   Comune   Comune di Messina …   Wikipedia Sicilia! — Infobox Film name = Sicilia! caption = director = Danièle Huillet and Jean Marie Straub producer = writer = starring = music = cinematography = William Lubtchansky editing = distributor = released = 1999 runtime = 76 min country = Italy / France… …   Wikipedia Vittorini, Elio — (1908–1966)    Born in 1908 in Syracuse (Sicily), Vittorini was one of the most influential editors and writers of postwar Italy. His first steps into the literary world came during the late 1920s, when he began to collaborate with Solaria, the… …   Historical Dictionary of modern Italy 1939 in literature — The year 1939 in literature involved some significant events and new books.Events*December 25 A Christmas Carol is read before a radio audience for the first time. *Frank Herbert lies about his age to get his first job as a local newspaper… …   Wikipedia Words Without Borders — (WWB) is an international magazine opened to international exchange through translation, publication, and promotion of the world’s best writing and authors (most of which usually are not easily accessible to English speaking readers).Translation… …   Wikipedia literature — /lit euhr euh cheuhr, choor , li treuh /, n. 1. writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays. 2.… …   Universalium Gambino crime family — Gambino Family redirects here. For the hip hop group, see Gambino Family (group). Gambino crime family Carlo Gambino, the boss of the family during 1957–1976. In New York City, New York Founded by …   Wikipedia Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von — born Aug. 28, 1749, Frankfurt am Main died March 22, 1832, Weimar, Saxe Weimar German poet, novelist, playwright, and natural philosopher. In 1773 Goethe provided the Sturm und Drang movement with its first major drama, Götz von Berlichingen, and …   Universalium 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”