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Forse la pi霉 nota novella di Pirandello. Don Lol貌 Zirafa trova la sua nuova e bellissima giara... rotta!!
71 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1909
35 people are currently reading
426 people want to read
About the author
Luigi Pirandello
1,368听books1,368听followersLuigi Pirandello; Agrigento (28 June 1867 鈥� Rome 10 December 1936) was an Italian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short story writer whose greatest contributions were his plays.
He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature for "his almost magical power to turn psychological analysis into good theatre.
Pirandello's works include novels, hundreds of short stories, and about 40 plays, some of which are written in Sicilian. Pirandello's tragic farces are often seen as forerunners of the Theatre of the Absurd.
He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature for "his almost magical power to turn psychological analysis into good theatre.
Pirandello's works include novels, hundreds of short stories, and about 40 plays, some of which are written in Sicilian. Pirandello's tragic farces are often seen as forerunners of the Theatre of the Absurd.
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September 14, 2024
袙械褋械谢褘械, 懈褉芯薪懈褔薪褘械 褉邪褋褋泻邪蟹褘 芯 褉邪蟹薪褘褏 泻邪蟹褍褋邪褏, 褋锌芯褉邪褏 懈谢懈 褋谢芯卸薪褘褏 褋懈褌褍邪褑懈褟褏 懈 芯褋褌褉芯褍屑薪褘褏 褉械褕械薪懈褟褏. "袞斜邪薪", 锌芯卸邪谢褍泄, 褋邪屑褘泄 泻芯谢芯褉懈褌薪褘泄 褉邪褋褋泻邪蟹. 袙 褉械蟹褍谢褜褌邪褌械 薪邪褋褌芯泄褔懈胁芯褋褌懈 懈 胁屑械褕邪褌械谢褜褋褌胁邪 褋 薪械锌褉芯褕械薪薪褘屑懈 褋芯胁械褌邪屑懈 褏芯蟹褟懈薪邪 写芯薪邪 袥芯谢谢芯, 屑邪褋褌械褉, 写褟写褟 袛懈薪芯, 泻芯褌芯褉芯屑褍 锌芯褉褍褔械薪芯 薪械 褌芯谢褜泻芯 褋泻谢械懈褌褜 (泻邪泻 锌褉械写谢邪谐邪谢 屑邪褋褌械褉) 薪芯胁褘泄, 芯谐褉芯屑薪褘泄 - 薪邪 200 谢懈褌褉芯胁, 薪械懈蟹胁械褋褌薪芯 泻械屑 褋谢芯屑邪薪薪褘泄 卸斜邪薪, 薪芯 懈 褋褕懈褌褜 械谐芯 锌褉芯胁芯谢芯泻芯泄, 蟹邪褋褌褉褟谢 胁 卸斜邪薪械. 效褌芯斜褘 芯薪 胁褘斜褉邪谢褋褟 芯褌褌褍写邪, 薪褍卸薪芯 褉邪蟹斜懈褌褜 锌芯写褔懈薪褢薪薪褍褞 锌芯褋褍写懈薪褍. 袣邪泻 卸械 褉邪蟹褉械褕懈谢邪褋褜 褋懈褌褍邪褑懈褟, 袙褘 褍蟹薪邪械褌械 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪胁 褝褌芯褌 芯褋褌褉芯褍屑薪褘泄 褉邪褋褋泻邪蟹. 袛褉褍谐懈械 褉邪褋褋泻邪蟹褘 褌邪泻卸械 褏芯褉芯褕懈.
July 27, 2019
賰賯氐氐 丨賰丕賷丕鬲 毓丕賱賲賷丞
賲賳 丕賱兀丿亘 丕賱廿賷胤丕賱賷
賲賳 丕賱兀丿亘 丕賱廿賷胤丕賱賷
May 18, 2018
Le catene del verismo.
Se ci si avvicina al teatro non si pu貌 non passare, e questo il prima possibile, dal genio assoluto che fu Luigi Pirandello. oprattutto per il fatto che oltre a dare un contributo decisivo allo sviluppo di quest'arte in Italia, ha svoltoun ruolo decisivo nello svincolare la letteratura italiana dalle secche del verismo. Se la si riduce ad una piatta rappresentazione del reale, se rifiutiamo di uscira da una visione piatta e meccanicistica del mondo, l'arte soffoca e non fa proprio quello che 猫 la sua ragion d'essere: cercare una via d'uscita.
Molto dell'arte pirandelliana 猫 in fondo proprio lo sforzo dell'io di liberarsi da queste catene, lo sforzo di essere quello che si 猫 e non quello che il mondo (gli altri? La societ脿? Vogliono che siamo).
Se questa dirompente innovazione tutta novecentesca si legge bene nei romanzi (persino i pi霉 precoci - Il fu Mattia Pascal), le novelle e soprattutto quelle di ambientazione siciliana, restano ancorate ad un punto di passaggio. E' che soprattutto all'interno di questo genere troppo grande 猫 ancora il debito da pagare a Verga e Capuana, troppo stretto 猫 ancora il legame del genio di girgenti con la sua terra per guardare solo avanti.
Ma forse 猫 proprio per uesto"stare nel mezzo" che leggere le novelle per un anno (o anche solo questa riuscitissima sintesi) vale la pena. Perch猫 consente di capire che cosa 猫 stato il passaggio dal positivismo all' avanguardia, dal Verismo al romanzo psicologico, dalla Belle Epoque alla prima guerra mondiale, insomma dall' Ottocento ai giorni nostri. E non pu貌 avere un caso se proprio la Sicilia scialba e noiosa dei Malavoglia si colora proprio con Pirandello per la prima volta di una dirompente carica drammatica, di un forte pulsare umano, ma anche di una dirompente vitalit脿.
Le novelle di Pirandello sono state una parte della mia adolescenza ( sono il classico compito delle vacanze che si danno in prima o seconda superiore, per intendersi) e non 猫, non pu貌 essere un caso che Ciaula, Z矛 Dima e tutti gli altri siano stati tra i pochissimi che siano resistiti per tutto questo tempo tra i miei ricordi, e che lo abbiano fatto con un minimo di simpatia. Perch猫 quel sorriso triste, quel sorriso umoristico direbbe qualcuno, il genio di Girgenti lo sapeva strappare anche ai ragazzi di quindici anni. E scusate se 猫 poco.
Se ci si avvicina al teatro non si pu貌 non passare, e questo il prima possibile, dal genio assoluto che fu Luigi Pirandello. oprattutto per il fatto che oltre a dare un contributo decisivo allo sviluppo di quest'arte in Italia, ha svoltoun ruolo decisivo nello svincolare la letteratura italiana dalle secche del verismo. Se la si riduce ad una piatta rappresentazione del reale, se rifiutiamo di uscira da una visione piatta e meccanicistica del mondo, l'arte soffoca e non fa proprio quello che 猫 la sua ragion d'essere: cercare una via d'uscita.
Molto dell'arte pirandelliana 猫 in fondo proprio lo sforzo dell'io di liberarsi da queste catene, lo sforzo di essere quello che si 猫 e non quello che il mondo (gli altri? La societ脿? Vogliono che siamo).
Se questa dirompente innovazione tutta novecentesca si legge bene nei romanzi (persino i pi霉 precoci - Il fu Mattia Pascal), le novelle e soprattutto quelle di ambientazione siciliana, restano ancorate ad un punto di passaggio. E' che soprattutto all'interno di questo genere troppo grande 猫 ancora il debito da pagare a Verga e Capuana, troppo stretto 猫 ancora il legame del genio di girgenti con la sua terra per guardare solo avanti.
Ma forse 猫 proprio per uesto"stare nel mezzo" che leggere le novelle per un anno (o anche solo questa riuscitissima sintesi) vale la pena. Perch猫 consente di capire che cosa 猫 stato il passaggio dal positivismo all' avanguardia, dal Verismo al romanzo psicologico, dalla Belle Epoque alla prima guerra mondiale, insomma dall' Ottocento ai giorni nostri. E non pu貌 avere un caso se proprio la Sicilia scialba e noiosa dei Malavoglia si colora proprio con Pirandello per la prima volta di una dirompente carica drammatica, di un forte pulsare umano, ma anche di una dirompente vitalit脿.
Le novelle di Pirandello sono state una parte della mia adolescenza ( sono il classico compito delle vacanze che si danno in prima o seconda superiore, per intendersi) e non 猫, non pu貌 essere un caso che Ciaula, Z矛 Dima e tutti gli altri siano stati tra i pochissimi che siano resistiti per tutto questo tempo tra i miei ricordi, e che lo abbiano fatto con un minimo di simpatia. Perch猫 quel sorriso triste, quel sorriso umoristico direbbe qualcuno, il genio di Girgenti lo sapeva strappare anche ai ragazzi di quindici anni. E scusate se 猫 poco.
October 21, 2020
螘谓伪位位伪魏蟿喂魏蠈蟼 蟿委蟿位慰蟼: 韦慰 蠂蟻慰谓喂魏蠈 蔚谓蠈蟼 蟽蟺伪蟽渭苇谓慰蠀 蟺蠀胃伪蟻喂慰蠉. 螝伪喂 蔚委谓伪喂 蟿蠈蟽慰 蟽蠀纬魏位慰谓喂蟽蟿喂魏蠈 蠈蟽慰 伪魏慰蠉纬蔚蟿伪喂 (未畏位伪未萎 魏伪胃蠈位慰蠀).
螡伪喂, 胃委纬蔚喂 蟿畏谓 伪蟺位畏蟽蟿委伪 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 魏慰蠀蟿慰蟺慰谓畏蟻喂维 渭蔚 苇谓伪 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰 伪蟺蟻慰蟽未喂蠈蟻喂蟽蟿伪 蠂喂慰蠀渭慰蟻喂蟽蟿喂魏蠈, 蔚纬蠋 蠈渭蠅蟼 伪魏蠈渭伪 蟺蟻慰蟽蟺伪胃蠋 谓伪 魏伪蟿伪位维尾蠅 纬喂伪蟿委 慰 Pirandello 苇蠂蔚喂 螡蠈渭蟺蔚位 位慰纬慰蟿蔚蠂谓委伪蟼...
螡伪喂, 胃委纬蔚喂 蟿畏谓 伪蟺位畏蟽蟿委伪 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 魏慰蠀蟿慰蟺慰谓畏蟻喂维 渭蔚 苇谓伪 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰 伪蟺蟻慰蟽未喂蠈蟻喂蟽蟿伪 蠂喂慰蠀渭慰蟻喂蟽蟿喂魏蠈, 蔚纬蠋 蠈渭蠅蟼 伪魏蠈渭伪 蟺蟻慰蟽蟺伪胃蠋 谓伪 魏伪蟿伪位维尾蠅 纬喂伪蟿委 慰 Pirandello 苇蠂蔚喂 螡蠈渭蟺蔚位 位慰纬慰蟿蔚蠂谓委伪蟼...
February 7, 2019
Gradevolissima e ironica questa novella di Pirandello, che vede contrapposti l'avaro e attaccabrighe proprietario terriero, Don Loll貌, e l'artigiano Zi' Dima.
Al centro della vicenda ovviamente una preziosissima giara per l'olio che, nonostante la cura con cui 猫 stata maneggiata, si spacca inspiegabilmente.
Don Loll貌 convoca l'artigiano Zi' Dima affinch猫 l'aggiusti in fretta, visto che la raccolta delle olive 猫 in pieno svolgimento. Zi' Dima 猫 famoso per il suo miracoloso mastice a prova di martello, ma Don Loll貌 non si fida e pretende una tecnica pi霉 classica e collaudata. L'artigiano lo accontenta, seppur con poca voglia, ma, stoltamente, si sigilla dentro la giara.
E adesso? Come si pu貌 liberare il prigioniero senza rompere la giara?
Davvero divertente questa paradossale situazione in cui l'attaccamento alla roba la fa da padrona, mi sa che 猫 proprio arrivato il momento di scoprire l'opera del mio conterraneo.
Al centro della vicenda ovviamente una preziosissima giara per l'olio che, nonostante la cura con cui 猫 stata maneggiata, si spacca inspiegabilmente.
Don Loll貌 convoca l'artigiano Zi' Dima affinch猫 l'aggiusti in fretta, visto che la raccolta delle olive 猫 in pieno svolgimento. Zi' Dima 猫 famoso per il suo miracoloso mastice a prova di martello, ma Don Loll貌 non si fida e pretende una tecnica pi霉 classica e collaudata. L'artigiano lo accontenta, seppur con poca voglia, ma, stoltamente, si sigilla dentro la giara.
E adesso? Come si pu貌 liberare il prigioniero senza rompere la giara?
Davvero divertente questa paradossale situazione in cui l'attaccamento alla roba la fa da padrona, mi sa che 猫 proprio arrivato il momento di scoprire l'opera del mio conterraneo.
March 1, 2016
La pi霉 divertente opera di Pirandello.
Ingredienti.
Prendete un avaro ed irascibile proprietario di ulivi, odiato da tutti, convinto d'aver sempre ragione, che corre sempre dal suo fidato avvocato, perch茅 non vuole rimetterci.
Prendete un esperto artigiano, con parecchi amici, molto convinto del suo lavoro (fa le cose ad occhio senza controllare le misure), che non vuole rivelare a nessuno i suoi segreti perch茅 non vuole rimetterci.
Prendete un avvocato che cerchi di conciliare le due parti.
E nel mezzo lei.
La fragile e preziosa giara.
Si potrebbe leggere quest'opera da un punto di vista solamente comico: a differenza di altre opere, come i "Sei personaggi in cerca d'autore", non bisogna per forza capire questa novella. Si pu貌 soltanto gustarla per venti minuti spensierati.
Il finale 猫 a sorpresa.
Non 猫 un finale enigmatico come mi sarei immaginato.
S矛 possono invece guardare pi霉 seriamente le tematiche della novella. Il famoso tema pirandelliano (apparire 猫 diverso da essere, noi sembriamo in cento modi diversi a seconda di chi ci guarda) 猫 leggermente modificato.
La legge, rappresentata dall'avvocato, come appare? Pu貌 lei stessa cambiare a seconda dei punti di vista? Pu貌 avere anch'essa diverse maschere? O sono solo gli uomini che cercano di nascondersi dietro una facciata, correndo poi il rischio di non saperla pi霉 abbattere? Riusciranno i due protagonisti a togliersi le loro maschere oppure si barricheranno dentro di esse finch茅 non scoppieranno?
Un'altra tematica e' sicuramente rappresentata dall'attaccamento del padrone agli oggetti. Sinceramente non mi sembra fondamentale. Se vi interessa, Moliere e Verga trattano questo tema in maniera pi霉 profonda.
Con questo divertente testo ci si pu貌 concedere un po' di svago, notando solo come, a seconda dei diversi punti di vista, un furto pu貌 essere considerato un sequestro di persona. Chi 猫 l'artigiano Zi Dima? La vittima o il colpevole? . Persino la "giara" 猫 lei stessa vittima o colpevole?
Non si pu貌 paragonare da un punto di vista teatrale (in questa opera nessun colpo di genio scenografico) n茅 tematico ai "Sei personaggi", ma questa prova d'ironia e semplicit脿 merita cinque stelle!
Pirandello voleva alleggerire le atmosfere psicologicamente intense di altre sue opere, oppure nascondendosi lui stesso nella maschera dell'ironia voleva mostrare che la stessa legge pu貌 avere diverse facce?
Ingredienti.
Prendete un avaro ed irascibile proprietario di ulivi, odiato da tutti, convinto d'aver sempre ragione, che corre sempre dal suo fidato avvocato, perch茅 non vuole rimetterci.
Prendete un esperto artigiano, con parecchi amici, molto convinto del suo lavoro (fa le cose ad occhio senza controllare le misure), che non vuole rivelare a nessuno i suoi segreti perch茅 non vuole rimetterci.
Prendete un avvocato che cerchi di conciliare le due parti.
E nel mezzo lei.
La fragile e preziosa giara.
Si potrebbe leggere quest'opera da un punto di vista solamente comico: a differenza di altre opere, come i "Sei personaggi in cerca d'autore", non bisogna per forza capire questa novella. Si pu貌 soltanto gustarla per venti minuti spensierati.
Il finale 猫 a sorpresa.
Non 猫 un finale enigmatico come mi sarei immaginato.
S矛 possono invece guardare pi霉 seriamente le tematiche della novella. Il famoso tema pirandelliano (apparire 猫 diverso da essere, noi sembriamo in cento modi diversi a seconda di chi ci guarda) 猫 leggermente modificato.
La legge, rappresentata dall'avvocato, come appare? Pu貌 lei stessa cambiare a seconda dei punti di vista? Pu貌 avere anch'essa diverse maschere? O sono solo gli uomini che cercano di nascondersi dietro una facciata, correndo poi il rischio di non saperla pi霉 abbattere? Riusciranno i due protagonisti a togliersi le loro maschere oppure si barricheranno dentro di esse finch茅 non scoppieranno?
Un'altra tematica e' sicuramente rappresentata dall'attaccamento del padrone agli oggetti. Sinceramente non mi sembra fondamentale. Se vi interessa, Moliere e Verga trattano questo tema in maniera pi霉 profonda.
Con questo divertente testo ci si pu貌 concedere un po' di svago, notando solo come, a seconda dei diversi punti di vista, un furto pu貌 essere considerato un sequestro di persona. Chi 猫 l'artigiano Zi Dima? La vittima o il colpevole? . Persino la "giara" 猫 lei stessa vittima o colpevole?
Non si pu貌 paragonare da un punto di vista teatrale (in questa opera nessun colpo di genio scenografico) n茅 tematico ai "Sei personaggi", ma questa prova d'ironia e semplicit脿 merita cinque stelle!
Pirandello voleva alleggerire le atmosfere psicologicamente intense di altre sue opere, oppure nascondendosi lui stesso nella maschera dell'ironia voleva mostrare che la stessa legge pu貌 avere diverse facce?
December 10, 2023
En finurlig ber盲ttelse om en hantverkare och en hysterisk gods盲gare som g盲rna st盲mmer allt och alla i tid och otid.
Det blir ett moment 22 som f氓r en l盲tt l枚sning, kan man s盲ga.
Jag gillar ber盲ttelsen.
Det blir ett moment 22 som f氓r en l盲tt l枚sning, kan man s盲ga.
Jag gillar ber盲ttelsen.
March 16, 2018
;螆谓伪蟼 慰 螖喂慰纬苇谓畏蟼 慰 螝蠀谓喂魏蠈蟼 魏伪喂 苇谓伪蟼 慰 螤喂蟻伪谓蟿苇位位慰!
February 9, 2025
Una tinaja rota que supone el punto de cruce entre el artesano T铆o Dima Licasi y el prepotente comerciante Don Loll貌 Zirafa, nos permite apreciar un cuento que, mediante el humor y lo inesperado, revela la apat铆a y el esp铆ritu de aprovechamiento que se encuentra representado en Don Loll贸, implacable personaje, que secunda sus acciones a partir de justificaciones orientadas a la ganancia personal, sea cual sea la situaci贸n que se le presente.
Una historia que despliega escenas c贸micas que ridiculizan la apat铆a y el aprovechamiento; quiz谩s un intento de humorada a valores y principios que conforman parte del todo de nuestras sociedades, y que en la actualidad visiblemente han tomado protagonismo en la forma en que se entienden algunas relaciones, ya sea en la esfera de lo humano, o lo anterior en consonancia con otros tipos de existencias.
Una historia que despliega escenas c贸micas que ridiculizan la apat铆a y el aprovechamiento; quiz谩s un intento de humorada a valores y principios que conforman parte del todo de nuestras sociedades, y que en la actualidad visiblemente han tomado protagonismo en la forma en que se entienden algunas relaciones, ya sea en la esfera de lo humano, o lo anterior en consonancia con otros tipos de existencias.
November 13, 2016
A wonderful little story about where a wealthy "gentleman's" greed can lead, told in a delightfully humourous way. The first thing I've ever read by Nobel Prize winner (1934) Luigi Pirandello, and a great introduction to his writings. I shall now look for more translations of his work. Pity I can't read the Italian originals!
February 20, 2018
Uno dei brevi "ritratti" rappresentati da Pirandello.
Divertente quanto surreale, eppur "vero".
Divertente quanto surreale, eppur "vero".
February 8, 2017
I stumbled upon the short stories by the brilliant Italian playwright Luigi Pirandello. This particular collection of eleven shorts ruminate upon the nature of simple emotions and human relations but on a deeper, psychological level. Tragedy and farce of human life are well balanced in Pirandello鈥檚 concoctions.
鈥淐itrons from Sicily鈥� narrates the story of Micuccio who comes to the city to claim an old flame Teresina, now become a famed singer. With her old image in mind, Micuccio is disconcerted by what he presently sees; the innocent Teresina has been transformed into a loud, brazen woman who entertains her suitors and dresses somewhat immodestly. Her mother tries to console Micuccio who had helped them during their unfortunate days. Towards the end, the distraught Micuccio leaves them with a gift of oranges.
鈥淗e turned around uneasily and then looked at the old lady鈥檚 sorrowful, loving eyes, as if to read an explanation there. But what he read there instead was an urgent request to ask no more for the moment, to put off explanations till a later time鈥�
鈥淲ith Other Eyes鈥� recounts the story of a wife who experiences a myriad of emotions upon finding an old picture of her husband鈥檚 first wife. Love, jealousy, denial, pride, self-pity all contribute to her finding the reason for her misery.
鈥淰ittore Brivio treated his wife like a child capable of nothing but that ingenuous, exclusive and almost childish love with which he felt himself surrounded, frequently to his annoyance, and to which he had determined to pay attention only on due occasion鈥�
She concludes that she is stuck in a marriage of unreciprocated love, 鈥渢hat love which remained locked up in her breast like a treasure in a casket to which he had the keys but would never use them, like a miser.鈥�
Next in 鈥淎 Voice鈥�, we meet the rich but blind Marchese who in care of his kindly nurse, has fallen in love with her. Lydia is haunted by irrational thoughts echoing from what people would say about their engagement. When a certain doctor Falci arrives and in veiled words, accuses her of keeping her fianc茅 blind in order to secure his wealth, she rethinks her decision to get married despite the ferocity of their love. The doctor鈥檚 character is perhaps the most interesting. He is invalidated in the beginning but poses a great threat to the sanity of Lydia and her firm belief in her own love for the blind Marchese, which only later on falters.
鈥淗e had gradually formed a concept of life so devoid of all those friendly and almost necessary hypocrisies, those spontaneous, inevitable illusions composed and created by each of us without our volition, through an instinctive need鈥攆or social decency, one might say鈥攖hat his company had now become intolerable.鈥�
鈥淭he Fly鈥� tells the story of two brothers and their cousin who is fatally ill. When the brothers fetch a doctor to help their ailing cousin, one of the brothers becomes a victim to the same disease. It鈥檚 a powerful story decrying the evil of selfishness and jealousy even in one鈥檚 dying moments.
鈥淭he Oil Jar鈥� is a somewhat humorous story of a powerful Don Zirafa who mistreats his workers and it is this cruelty which leads him to part with an expensive oil jar he had invested in. He hires Uncle Dima who had discovered a resin cement which 鈥渃ouldn鈥檛 even be broken by a hammer.鈥� In his arrogance and little regard for others鈥� advices, he forbids Zima to use his secret ingredient to mend the jar. What follows is a series of farcical actions that eventually lead to Don being butt of the joke for the entire village.
鈥淭o wrench a word out of his mouth you needed a hook. It was haughtiness, that taciturnity, it was sadness rooted in that misshapen body of his; it was also a lack of belief that others could understand and rightly appreciate his deserts as an inventor鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 Not to be Taken Seriously鈥� is a brilliant, incisive sketch of the character Perazzetti which can be best described by the following extract:
鈥淗e had an extremely active and terrifically capricious imagination, which, when he saw other people, would fly out of control and, without his volition, would arouse in his mind the most outrageous images, flashes of inexpressibly hilarious visions; it would suddenly reveal to him certain hidden analogies, or unexpectedly indicate to him certain contrasts that were so grotesque and comic that he would burst out laughing unrestrainedly.鈥�
The story is terrifically entertaining on an introspective level.
鈥淧erazzetti knew clearly, from his own experience, how different the basic essence of every man is from the fictitious interpretations of that essence that each of us offers himself either spontaneously, or through unconscious self-deceit, out of that need to think ourselves or to be thought different from what we are, either because we imitate others or because of social necessities and conventions鈥�
鈥淭hink it Over, Giacomino!鈥� recounts the story of an aged Professor Toti who in all good intentions want his young wife and child to be financially secure after his death. He even takes a poor student under his wings, only later to be tossed out despite his innocent intentions.
鈥淎 Character鈥檚 Tragedy鈥� is another wonderful short story, and my favourite of the lot, where the author Luigi Pirandello details on his creative form whereupon his characters come alive and demand an audience from him. In this story, a character from a novel written by someone else demands that Luigi give him life, and do justice to his characters motivations and actions as the original author failed to do so. This story masterfully analyses the relationship of a writer with his characters, and somewhat denounces plagiarism.
鈥淏ecause it鈥檚 easy for anyone to wish to be one kind of person or another; the real question is whether we can be the way we want to be鈥�
鈥淎 Prancing Horse鈥� is an absurd story of two horses who are employed to carry hearses but are unable to fully comprehend the nature of their job.
The last story 鈥淢rs. Frola & Mr. Ponza, Her Son-in-law鈥� is my second favourite story from this collection. It is a story of two people who condemn each other to be insane and for the people of their community there is no way to discern which of the two speaks the truth. The circumstances around their warm relationship are sketched in a believable way so as to make even the reader suspicious of both characters. But:
鈥淥ne thing is certain anyway: that both of them manifest a marvellous, deeply moving spirit of sacrifice for each other; and that each of them has the most exquisitely compassionate consideration for the presumed madness of the other鈥�
Credit is due to the translator Stanley Applebaum who did justice to the stories, the dialogue and the masterful characterization.
MY RATINGS:
1. Little Hut 鈥� Sicilian Sketch 1/5
2. Citrons from Sicily 5/5
3. With other eyes 4/5
4. A voice 4/5suitors
5. The fly. 4/5
6. The oil jar 4/5
7. It鈥檚 not to be taken seriously 4/5
8. Think it over, Giacomino 3/5
9. A character鈥檚 Tragedy 5/5
10. A Prancing horse 5/5
11. Mrs. Frola and Mr. Ponza, her son-in-law 5/5
鈥淐itrons from Sicily鈥� narrates the story of Micuccio who comes to the city to claim an old flame Teresina, now become a famed singer. With her old image in mind, Micuccio is disconcerted by what he presently sees; the innocent Teresina has been transformed into a loud, brazen woman who entertains her suitors and dresses somewhat immodestly. Her mother tries to console Micuccio who had helped them during their unfortunate days. Towards the end, the distraught Micuccio leaves them with a gift of oranges.
鈥淗e turned around uneasily and then looked at the old lady鈥檚 sorrowful, loving eyes, as if to read an explanation there. But what he read there instead was an urgent request to ask no more for the moment, to put off explanations till a later time鈥�
鈥淲ith Other Eyes鈥� recounts the story of a wife who experiences a myriad of emotions upon finding an old picture of her husband鈥檚 first wife. Love, jealousy, denial, pride, self-pity all contribute to her finding the reason for her misery.
鈥淰ittore Brivio treated his wife like a child capable of nothing but that ingenuous, exclusive and almost childish love with which he felt himself surrounded, frequently to his annoyance, and to which he had determined to pay attention only on due occasion鈥�
She concludes that she is stuck in a marriage of unreciprocated love, 鈥渢hat love which remained locked up in her breast like a treasure in a casket to which he had the keys but would never use them, like a miser.鈥�
Next in 鈥淎 Voice鈥�, we meet the rich but blind Marchese who in care of his kindly nurse, has fallen in love with her. Lydia is haunted by irrational thoughts echoing from what people would say about their engagement. When a certain doctor Falci arrives and in veiled words, accuses her of keeping her fianc茅 blind in order to secure his wealth, she rethinks her decision to get married despite the ferocity of their love. The doctor鈥檚 character is perhaps the most interesting. He is invalidated in the beginning but poses a great threat to the sanity of Lydia and her firm belief in her own love for the blind Marchese, which only later on falters.
鈥淗e had gradually formed a concept of life so devoid of all those friendly and almost necessary hypocrisies, those spontaneous, inevitable illusions composed and created by each of us without our volition, through an instinctive need鈥攆or social decency, one might say鈥攖hat his company had now become intolerable.鈥�
鈥淭he Fly鈥� tells the story of two brothers and their cousin who is fatally ill. When the brothers fetch a doctor to help their ailing cousin, one of the brothers becomes a victim to the same disease. It鈥檚 a powerful story decrying the evil of selfishness and jealousy even in one鈥檚 dying moments.
鈥淭he Oil Jar鈥� is a somewhat humorous story of a powerful Don Zirafa who mistreats his workers and it is this cruelty which leads him to part with an expensive oil jar he had invested in. He hires Uncle Dima who had discovered a resin cement which 鈥渃ouldn鈥檛 even be broken by a hammer.鈥� In his arrogance and little regard for others鈥� advices, he forbids Zima to use his secret ingredient to mend the jar. What follows is a series of farcical actions that eventually lead to Don being butt of the joke for the entire village.
鈥淭o wrench a word out of his mouth you needed a hook. It was haughtiness, that taciturnity, it was sadness rooted in that misshapen body of his; it was also a lack of belief that others could understand and rightly appreciate his deserts as an inventor鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 Not to be Taken Seriously鈥� is a brilliant, incisive sketch of the character Perazzetti which can be best described by the following extract:
鈥淗e had an extremely active and terrifically capricious imagination, which, when he saw other people, would fly out of control and, without his volition, would arouse in his mind the most outrageous images, flashes of inexpressibly hilarious visions; it would suddenly reveal to him certain hidden analogies, or unexpectedly indicate to him certain contrasts that were so grotesque and comic that he would burst out laughing unrestrainedly.鈥�
The story is terrifically entertaining on an introspective level.
鈥淧erazzetti knew clearly, from his own experience, how different the basic essence of every man is from the fictitious interpretations of that essence that each of us offers himself either spontaneously, or through unconscious self-deceit, out of that need to think ourselves or to be thought different from what we are, either because we imitate others or because of social necessities and conventions鈥�
鈥淭hink it Over, Giacomino!鈥� recounts the story of an aged Professor Toti who in all good intentions want his young wife and child to be financially secure after his death. He even takes a poor student under his wings, only later to be tossed out despite his innocent intentions.
鈥淎 Character鈥檚 Tragedy鈥� is another wonderful short story, and my favourite of the lot, where the author Luigi Pirandello details on his creative form whereupon his characters come alive and demand an audience from him. In this story, a character from a novel written by someone else demands that Luigi give him life, and do justice to his characters motivations and actions as the original author failed to do so. This story masterfully analyses the relationship of a writer with his characters, and somewhat denounces plagiarism.
鈥淏ecause it鈥檚 easy for anyone to wish to be one kind of person or another; the real question is whether we can be the way we want to be鈥�
鈥淎 Prancing Horse鈥� is an absurd story of two horses who are employed to carry hearses but are unable to fully comprehend the nature of their job.
The last story 鈥淢rs. Frola & Mr. Ponza, Her Son-in-law鈥� is my second favourite story from this collection. It is a story of two people who condemn each other to be insane and for the people of their community there is no way to discern which of the two speaks the truth. The circumstances around their warm relationship are sketched in a believable way so as to make even the reader suspicious of both characters. But:
鈥淥ne thing is certain anyway: that both of them manifest a marvellous, deeply moving spirit of sacrifice for each other; and that each of them has the most exquisitely compassionate consideration for the presumed madness of the other鈥�
Credit is due to the translator Stanley Applebaum who did justice to the stories, the dialogue and the masterful characterization.
MY RATINGS:
1. Little Hut 鈥� Sicilian Sketch 1/5
2. Citrons from Sicily 5/5
3. With other eyes 4/5
4. A voice 4/5suitors
5. The fly. 4/5
6. The oil jar 4/5
7. It鈥檚 not to be taken seriously 4/5
8. Think it over, Giacomino 3/5
9. A character鈥檚 Tragedy 5/5
10. A Prancing horse 5/5
11. Mrs. Frola and Mr. Ponza, her son-in-law 5/5
February 14, 2019
Citrons From Sicily reads like a romance, but a further in depth reading reveals it鈥檚 main theme is class structures. With Micuccio representing lower class, and Teresina representing high class. Micuccio is described as being timid and unsure, dressed in ratty clothes. On the other hand, Teresina is described at being boisterous and loud with laughter dressed in finery. Micuccio has little to no power in the story. Teresina makes all the decisions. This is an allusion to the differences between the power of the classes. Higher class people hold more power over those of lower class. These two characters who were once similar classes and in love have grown apart. This is due to Teresina rise to fame and fortune, which Micuccio would not have happened if not for Micucci's investment. Micuccio comes baring citrons for Teresina and to possibly ask her hand in marriage. Teresina is preoccupied in the saloon entertaining gentleman fans. It is implied that Teresina has taken a lover out of wedlock. This brings into question her morality and again questions the morality of the upper class. Micuccio has been faithful to the idea of marrying Teresina and has kept his morality throughout the story, which suggests that Pirandello is writing that the lower class has a morality that the upper class lacks. Upon hearing of Teresina infidelity Micuccio leaves. The only thing he leaves behind is his bag full of citrons, which represent status, because the only people who could afford them in Northern Italy were usually the rich. Teresina upon discovering Micuccio鈥檚 gift promptly hands them out to the gentlemen in the saloon. This shows that Micuccio鈥檚 gift of fame and fortune is now being given freely to strangers, while Micuccio is left with nothing.
February 12, 2019
"Citrons","The Voice" and "The Fly" are minutiae growing in our understanding until they overwhelm the conscious. At which point, we choose between a lonely redemption or schadenfreude. Neither seems to suit us, but those were the options of fin de si猫cle Sicily.
December 1, 2022
Skrockar
December 17, 2024
den h盲r var rolig
April 9, 2021
匕丕鬲 胤丕亘毓 賰賵賲賷丿賷 噩賲賷賱 賵賲丨亘亘
January 15, 2022
1. Little Hut 鈥� Sicilian Sketch (1883) - 2 stars
This little story is about the thwarted love between Jeli and Malia. Luigi Pirandello wrote it when he was only seventeen. He never included it in any short stories collection, and it was published posthumously. It鈥檚 unpretentious, but paves the road for future great stories.
2. Citrons of Sicily (1900) - 5 stars
Micuccio travels all the way up from Sicily to Naples to see Teresina. They鈥檝e been apart for many years. He is a flute player, and paid for her to go to the big town, and study to become a singer.
3. With other Eyes (1911) - 4 stars
This is the story of Anna, a young woman who finds a picture of his husband鈥檚 first wife in one of his old jacket鈥檚 pocket. 鈥淚n the gaze of those eyes鈥�, Anna finds the truth about herself and her own marriage.
4. A Voice (1904) - 3 stars
The young Marchese Silvio Borghi has been blind for about a year. All the oculists that have examined him say that he is suffering from incurable glaucoma. He resigns himself to live in the dark with Lydia, his housekeeper and reader, who has a beautiful voice, a sweet voice, that has come to him 鈥渓ike a soft light鈥� in the darkness. They fall in love...
5. The Fly (1904) - 3 stars
Giurlannu Zar霉 is dying. His two caring cousins go and call a doctor. But looking at his healthy handsome cousin Liol脿, the dying man is 鈥渟eized by a sullen envy, an unspoken ferocious jealousy鈥� that won鈥檛 be without consequences.
6. The Oil Jar (1909) - 5 stars
This is a humorous rustic sketch about a farmer, Don Loll貌 Zirafa, who calls a tinker to repair an oil jar that is broken. The tinker does an excellent job, but there is a problem, a funny problem.
7. It鈥檚 not to be taken seriously (1910) - 4 stars
What might the reason be for a young man to burst into fits of laughter when he sees other people? The answer is in his capricious imagination, which reveals to him certain contrasts between the basic essence of every man and the way he wants to appear to others and to himself鈥�
8. Think it over, Giacomino! (1910) - 3 stars
Old Professor Toti is seventy years old, he has a young wife, and a child. She was poor, and by marrying her, he benefited her. He also benefited Giocomino, a former student. But in my opinion, in his mind there is something more complicated than simple generosity.
9. A Character鈥檚 tragedy (1911) - 5 stars
"I persist in my old habit of giving audience every Sunday morning to the characters of my future short stories. Three hours, from seven to ten. I almost always find myself in bad company."
This is the captivating incipit of the story of one of those characters, Dr Fileno, who 鈥渓eaps ahead of the others鈥� and demands the author鈥檚 attention. He tells him that he is a living being, born from the imagination of an author, and goes as far as to say, like one of the characters in (1921), that
鈥渘ature makes use of the human imagination as a tool for pursuing its work of creation鈥�.
10. A prancing horse (1913) - 3 stars
The human world watched by animals. Funny, and a little sad.
11. Mrs Frola and Mr Ponza (1917) - 4 stars
The final story is about reality and illusion: 鈥渞eality counts for no more than illusion does, and [鈥 every reality may very well be an illusion, and vice versa鈥�.
October 27, 2015
As a collection, 'The Oil Jar, and Other Stories' is somewhat hit and miss, though it achieves a nice unity through the themes of deception, miscommunication and the reality of individual isolation.
In 'A Voice', a wealthy young man has received a diagnosis of glaucoma from several doctors and is condemned to a life of irreversible blindness. It's hard to accept, but the man does his best to adjust, with the help of a devoted companion. Soon, love blossoms, and life begins to feel light again, but one somewhat contrary doctor disagrees with the original diagnosis, believing that the problem is actually a rare cataract condition that can be rectified. When he brings the good news, the companion intercepts him, and elects not to pass along the message, fearing a shattering of illusions. Then, some months later, a wedding is announced. Reminded of the case, the doctor visits again, and this time insists on imparting the news directly.
'The Fly' is another compelling tale. When their cousin is struck down with a mysterious illness, two brothers fetch a reluctant doctor. The cousin, out of laziness has elected to nap in a barn while everyone else is out in the fields working the crops, and while sleeping has been bitten by a fly. The brothers stand while the doctor pronounces the condition fatal, and one laments how he and the cousin were both due to marry their sweethearts on the same day. While pondering this, a fly lands on his face, and strays across his chin and the small wound where he has nicked himself while shaving.
'Citrons from Sicily', probably the best of the collection, tells of a young man who, against his family's wishes, works hard to support his destitute girlfriend and her mother. When he discovers that the girlfriend has a remarkable singing voice he insists on paying for her to receive the highest quality training, and in this way sets her on the path to stardom. His love for her is absolute, even though they are forced to spend years apart, and through all this time, until he falls ill, he continues to work for her sake alone. But when, finally, he can bear it no longer and pays her an unexpected visit he finds that she now exists on an entirely different level from the one he knows. This is a wonderfully constructed and incredibly poignant story that hinges on the kind of tragic misunderstanding that can shatter hearts.
The collection closes on another high note, with 'Mrs. Frola and Mr. Ponza, Her Son-in-Law'. After moving to town to take up a civil service position, Mr. Ponza rents a second apartment, to house his mother-in-law, Mrs. Frola. The stories that emerge from such a strange set-up are contradictory and confusing. Mrs. Frola claims that her son-in-law, kind though he is, is so adoring of his daughter that he can't bear to share her, even with her own mother. However, Mr. Ponza suggests that the truth lies in a different direction, that the daughter, his first wife, died some four years earlier, and that the old woman is mentally imbalanced. As the whole thing gets more and more complicated, it becomes clear that at least one of them is lying, or that at least one of them is crazy.
With plenty of broken romances, occasional comic turns, and frequently tragic twists, these have the feel and attitude of folk tales (and are none the worse for this), and while even the slight stories, simplistic as they might be, boast a certain almost naive charm, the best of the stories are terrific and are what makes this collection worth a short story lover's time.
In 'A Voice', a wealthy young man has received a diagnosis of glaucoma from several doctors and is condemned to a life of irreversible blindness. It's hard to accept, but the man does his best to adjust, with the help of a devoted companion. Soon, love blossoms, and life begins to feel light again, but one somewhat contrary doctor disagrees with the original diagnosis, believing that the problem is actually a rare cataract condition that can be rectified. When he brings the good news, the companion intercepts him, and elects not to pass along the message, fearing a shattering of illusions. Then, some months later, a wedding is announced. Reminded of the case, the doctor visits again, and this time insists on imparting the news directly.
'The Fly' is another compelling tale. When their cousin is struck down with a mysterious illness, two brothers fetch a reluctant doctor. The cousin, out of laziness has elected to nap in a barn while everyone else is out in the fields working the crops, and while sleeping has been bitten by a fly. The brothers stand while the doctor pronounces the condition fatal, and one laments how he and the cousin were both due to marry their sweethearts on the same day. While pondering this, a fly lands on his face, and strays across his chin and the small wound where he has nicked himself while shaving.
'Citrons from Sicily', probably the best of the collection, tells of a young man who, against his family's wishes, works hard to support his destitute girlfriend and her mother. When he discovers that the girlfriend has a remarkable singing voice he insists on paying for her to receive the highest quality training, and in this way sets her on the path to stardom. His love for her is absolute, even though they are forced to spend years apart, and through all this time, until he falls ill, he continues to work for her sake alone. But when, finally, he can bear it no longer and pays her an unexpected visit he finds that she now exists on an entirely different level from the one he knows. This is a wonderfully constructed and incredibly poignant story that hinges on the kind of tragic misunderstanding that can shatter hearts.
The collection closes on another high note, with 'Mrs. Frola and Mr. Ponza, Her Son-in-Law'. After moving to town to take up a civil service position, Mr. Ponza rents a second apartment, to house his mother-in-law, Mrs. Frola. The stories that emerge from such a strange set-up are contradictory and confusing. Mrs. Frola claims that her son-in-law, kind though he is, is so adoring of his daughter that he can't bear to share her, even with her own mother. However, Mr. Ponza suggests that the truth lies in a different direction, that the daughter, his first wife, died some four years earlier, and that the old woman is mentally imbalanced. As the whole thing gets more and more complicated, it becomes clear that at least one of them is lying, or that at least one of them is crazy.
With plenty of broken romances, occasional comic turns, and frequently tragic twists, these have the feel and attitude of folk tales (and are none the worse for this), and while even the slight stories, simplistic as they might be, boast a certain almost naive charm, the best of the stories are terrific and are what makes this collection worth a short story lover's time.
March 6, 2017
There are some wonderful stories in this collection. Pirandello deftly closes some of his tales with an unexpected twist, which often is the hallmark of a memorable short story (see , e.g., O. Henry stories). Lemons from Sicily was beautiful, as The Little Hut and Mr. Frola and Mrs. Ponza. I liked the title story, The Oil Jar, but not as much as the best in the collection.
At times our author goes off into musings about reality and unreality that seem a bit dated in the way that a hippie newspaper from the 60s might read, but I suppose that was just the era when he wrote. Overall a very satisfying book
At times our author goes off into musings about reality and unreality that seem a bit dated in the way that a hippie newspaper from the 60s might read, but I suppose that was just the era when he wrote. Overall a very satisfying book
July 3, 2019
袟邪斜邪胁薪褘泄 褉邪褋褋泻邪蟹, 泻邪卸械褌褋褟 锌褉芯褋褌褘屑, 薪芯 褏芯褉芯褕芯 芯褌褉邪卸邪械褌 褌褉邪写懈褑懈懈 袠褌邪谢懈懈 懈 懈褌邪谢褜褟薪褋泻芯谐芯 泻邪褉薪邪胁邪谢邪.
袗 锌械褉褋芯薪邪卸邪, 泻芯褌芯褉褘泄 胁芯锌谢芯褖邪械褌 胁褋械 褝褌懈 芯斜褘褔邪懈, Zi' Dima (写褟写褟 袛懈屑邪) :D
袗 锌械褉褋芯薪邪卸邪, 泻芯褌芯褉褘泄 胁芯锌谢芯褖邪械褌 胁褋械 褝褌懈 芯斜褘褔邪懈, Zi' Dima (写褟写褟 袛懈屑邪) :D
January 25, 2020
毓賳丿賲丕 賷鬲毓賱賯 賰賱 卮卅 亘丕賱賲丕賱
丕賱賮賵夭 丿丕卅賲丕賸 賲賳 賳氐賷亘 氐丕丨亘 丕賱賳賮爻
丕賱胤賵賷賱 賮賶 丕賱賲賮丕賵囟丕鬲 賵賱賷爻 氐丕丨亘 丕賱丨賯
丕賱賮賵夭 丿丕卅賲丕賸 賲賳 賳氐賷亘 氐丕丨亘 丕賱賳賮爻
丕賱胤賵賷賱 賮賶 丕賱賲賮丕賵囟丕鬲 賵賱賷爻 氐丕丨亘 丕賱丨賯
December 26, 2020
Pu貌 darsi che prima di leggere "Uno, nessuno e centomila" avrei dovuto leggere questa raccolta di racconti (o novelle). Sarebbe stato un lieve esordio nella lettura delle opere pirandelliane perch茅 ho dovuto metterci un poco di tempo per avvezzarmi allo stile dell'autore. Non essendo un madrelingua e non avendo letto abbastanza per sentirmi a mio agio con qualsiasi testo in italiano, ho trovato il linguaggio letterario di Pirandello piuttosto impegnativo siccome il lettore deve possedere il talento di comprendere ci貌 che non 猫 stato detto chiaramente, bens矛 猫 stato solamente insinuato e sottinteso. In altri termini, la produzione letteraria di Pirandello 猫 una scala assai alta per un lettore poco esperto.
Le novelle sono divertentissime ed 猫 un piacere leggerli sia per diletto che per approfondirsi nello studio della letteratura pirandelliana. Giacch茅 non vorrei scrivere un resoconto lungo e capriccioso, mi fermer貌 soltanto su un aspetto particolare di questa raccolta del quale mi sono accorto. Cercando di discernere la presenza di qualcosa di comune tra le varie novelle sono giunto alla conclusione che ci貌 sarebbe lo scontro tra due sorte di leggi: quelle statali e quelle morali. Nelle novelle de "La giara" la differenza palese tra tutte e due sta nel fatto che si basano su principi diversi, ovvero l'essenziale per entrembe le sorte 猫 alquanto diverso.
Leggendo ho individuato tre conseguenze che derivano da quello scontro:
a) Ci sono delle situazioni e dei problemi che trasgrediscono i limiti delle leggi statali.
b) Le soluzioni, cio猫 il tentativo di assecondare entrambe le sorte di leggi, fanno i protagonisti capitare in situazioni bizzarre (come quelle di avere due mogli, oppure di essere sepolti accanto alla coniuge defunta del proprio marito allo scopo di non permettere che esso prenda quel posto, e via dicendo).
c) Il fatto che queste soluzioni sono ritenute bizzarre fa manifestare la rigidezza e l'ostinazione (persino l'ottusit脿) morali della societ脿 pirandelliana.
Un'ottima raccolta che invita a esplorare altre opere di Pirandello.
Le novelle sono divertentissime ed 猫 un piacere leggerli sia per diletto che per approfondirsi nello studio della letteratura pirandelliana. Giacch茅 non vorrei scrivere un resoconto lungo e capriccioso, mi fermer貌 soltanto su un aspetto particolare di questa raccolta del quale mi sono accorto. Cercando di discernere la presenza di qualcosa di comune tra le varie novelle sono giunto alla conclusione che ci貌 sarebbe lo scontro tra due sorte di leggi: quelle statali e quelle morali. Nelle novelle de "La giara" la differenza palese tra tutte e due sta nel fatto che si basano su principi diversi, ovvero l'essenziale per entrembe le sorte 猫 alquanto diverso.
Leggendo ho individuato tre conseguenze che derivano da quello scontro:
a) Ci sono delle situazioni e dei problemi che trasgrediscono i limiti delle leggi statali.
b) Le soluzioni, cio猫 il tentativo di assecondare entrambe le sorte di leggi, fanno i protagonisti capitare in situazioni bizzarre (come quelle di avere due mogli, oppure di essere sepolti accanto alla coniuge defunta del proprio marito allo scopo di non permettere che esso prenda quel posto, e via dicendo).
c) Il fatto che queste soluzioni sono ritenute bizzarre fa manifestare la rigidezza e l'ostinazione (persino l'ottusit脿) morali della societ脿 pirandelliana.
Un'ottima raccolta che invita a esplorare altre opere di Pirandello.
December 18, 2024
Very much a mixed bag. The title story is amusing but slight -- it could've made a good Puccini one-acter -- and the later ones aren鈥檛 necessarily better. Quite arguably the best in the collection is the early 鈥淐itrons from Sicily鈥�, which is not only a moving study in class differences but which powerfully builds tension in the form of the main character鈥檚 growing realization of his position. 鈥淎 Voice鈥� explores both character and conscience; and although 鈥淲ith Other Eyes鈥� uses the shopworn trope of appearance (in a photograph) as representation of personality and fate, the main character鈥檚 struggle toward empathy with the despised former wife is well calculated. Most remarkable perhaps is 鈥淚t鈥檚 Not to Be Taken Seriously鈥�, a study in repressed homosexuality and the main character鈥檚 panicked reaction when threatened by awareness of it. 鈥淎 Character鈥檚 Tragedy鈥�, no doubt an early study for what would be Pirandello鈥檚 most famous work, is tedious; it lacks cumulative effect.
And what is one to say about 鈥淢rs. Frola and Mr. Ponza, Her Son-in-Law鈥�? If it鈥檚 really 鈥渁bout the relativity of truth and the impossibility of penetrating other people鈥檚 minds鈥�, then perhaps Pirandello shouldn鈥檛 have been so arbitrary in presenting information to his characters 鈥� and to his readers. Does the current (second? or only?) Mrs. Ponza actually exist? We鈥檙e supposed to believe that nobody sees her; on the other hand, it would鈥檝e been impossible for her to exchange daily notes with Mrs. Frola (by means of a basket lowered into the courtyard of an apartment complex) without eventually being seen by someone. Wasn鈥檛 she seen when moving into the apartment? Either Pirandello or his translator is hiding behind some deliberate ambiguity, and this is annoying. Of course, it could be that both characters are lying, neither is insane, and in fact they鈥檙e carrying on with each other . . .
And what is one to say about 鈥淢rs. Frola and Mr. Ponza, Her Son-in-Law鈥�? If it鈥檚 really 鈥渁bout the relativity of truth and the impossibility of penetrating other people鈥檚 minds鈥�, then perhaps Pirandello shouldn鈥檛 have been so arbitrary in presenting information to his characters 鈥� and to his readers. Does the current (second? or only?) Mrs. Ponza actually exist? We鈥檙e supposed to believe that nobody sees her; on the other hand, it would鈥檝e been impossible for her to exchange daily notes with Mrs. Frola (by means of a basket lowered into the courtyard of an apartment complex) without eventually being seen by someone. Wasn鈥檛 she seen when moving into the apartment? Either Pirandello or his translator is hiding behind some deliberate ambiguity, and this is annoying. Of course, it could be that both characters are lying, neither is insane, and in fact they鈥檙e carrying on with each other . . .
March 20, 2024
芦La tinaja禄 de Pirandello es un divertido relato bastante chusco. Un hacendado compra una enorme tinaja para almacenar aceite. La encuentra rajada y encarga al t铆o Dimas que la repare con una resina que s贸lo el conoce. Al no fiarse de la resina milagrosa, le exige que tambi茅n la cosiera con puntos. El t铆o Dimas no quiere coserla y lo hace a rega帽adientes, pero al hacerlo desde dentro se queda encerrado en la tinaja de tal manera que para sacarle habr铆a que romperla. El hacendado, que es muy aficionado a los pleitos y a los abogados consulta con el suyo y le exige al t铆o Dimas que si quiere que lo saque de la tinaja debe pag谩rsela. 脡ste se niega y le dice que prefiere quedarse a vivir dentro de ella. Esa noche arma una gresca enorme con los campesinos que saben lo que ha pasado, y, enfadado, el hacendado se despierta y da una patada a la tinaja que sale rodando y se estampa contra un 谩rbol. As铆 el pleito lo gana el t铆o Dimas. Est谩 excelentemente contado, de la mejor manera posible.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
August 22, 2022Read so far:
Little Hut, an Italian sketch (Capannetta, Bozzetto siciliano) --
*Citrons from Sicily (Lum矛e di Sicilia) --
*With other eyes (Con altri occhi) --
A voice (Una voce) --
*The fly (La mosca)--
*The oil jar (La giara)--
It's not to be taken seriously (Non 猫 una cosa seria) --
Think it over, Giacomino! (Pensaci, Giacomino!) --
A character's tragedy (La tragedia d鈥檜n personaggio) --
A prancing horse (La rallegrata)--
*Mrs. Frola and Mr. Ponza, her son-in-law (La signora Frola e il signor Ponza suo genero) --
***
*War (Quando si comprende) --
A horse in the moon (Un cavallo nella luna) --2
*Madonna's gift (Dono della Vergine Maria) --
*The cat, a goldfinch and the stars (Il gatto, un cardellino e le stelle) --
*The soft touch of grass (I piedi sull鈥檈rba) --
*The haunted house (La casa del Granella) --
*Cinci --
*A day goes by (Una giornata)--
Little Hut, an Italian sketch (Capannetta, Bozzetto siciliano) --
*Citrons from Sicily (Lum矛e di Sicilia) --
*With other eyes (Con altri occhi) --
A voice (Una voce) --
*The fly (La mosca)--
*The oil jar (La giara)--
It's not to be taken seriously (Non 猫 una cosa seria) --
Think it over, Giacomino! (Pensaci, Giacomino!) --
A character's tragedy (La tragedia d鈥檜n personaggio) --
A prancing horse (La rallegrata)--
*Mrs. Frola and Mr. Ponza, her son-in-law (La signora Frola e il signor Ponza suo genero) --
***
*War (Quando si comprende) --
A horse in the moon (Un cavallo nella luna) --2
*Madonna's gift (Dono della Vergine Maria) --
*The cat, a goldfinch and the stars (Il gatto, un cardellino e le stelle) --
*The soft touch of grass (I piedi sull鈥檈rba) --
*The haunted house (La casa del Granella) --
*Cinci --
*A day goes by (Una giornata)--
January 5, 2022
-One of the stories-Citrons from Sicily- Micuccio pays Teresinas way to be a beautiful singer and she turns out to be a call girl.
-With other eyes-Two women married to the same man. One woman in a portrait dead with sad features. The other woman alive with the same sad features as a dead woman鈥檚 picture. Was it because of a husband they were so sad?
-A blind man falls in love with the female caretaker. He thinks her beautiful but she鈥檚 not. He is rich and wants his money. When the operation goes well she cannot stay and leaves him searching for those lips he kissed.
-The oil jar. Don Lollo byes an oil jar for his olive oil. It is broken and he hires Uncle Dima to fix it but he needs to get inside the jar. And now he can鈥檛 get out because to get him out they need to break the jar. It鈥檚 all about who pays for the broken jar.
-Perazzetti Acts like a lunatic. And at the end he states that he married just to avoid getting married.
Not the greatest of short stories
-With other eyes-Two women married to the same man. One woman in a portrait dead with sad features. The other woman alive with the same sad features as a dead woman鈥檚 picture. Was it because of a husband they were so sad?
-A blind man falls in love with the female caretaker. He thinks her beautiful but she鈥檚 not. He is rich and wants his money. When the operation goes well she cannot stay and leaves him searching for those lips he kissed.
-The oil jar. Don Lollo byes an oil jar for his olive oil. It is broken and he hires Uncle Dima to fix it but he needs to get inside the jar. And now he can鈥檛 get out because to get him out they need to break the jar. It鈥檚 all about who pays for the broken jar.
-Perazzetti Acts like a lunatic. And at the end he states that he married just to avoid getting married.
Not the greatest of short stories
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2025
鈥溫з勜必┾€� 賱賱賵賷噩賷 亘賷乇丕賳丿賱賱賵 賴賷 賲爻乇丨賷丞 賰賵賲賷丿賷丞 賲賳 賮氐賱 賵丕丨丿貙 鬲丿賵乇 兀丨丿丕孬賴丕 賮賷 賯乇賷丞 氐賯賱賷丞.
鬲鬲賲丨賵乇 丕賱賯氐丞 丨賵賱 賲丕賱賰 賷購丿毓賶 鈥溫堎� 賱賵賱賵鈥� 賷卮鬲乇賷 噩乇賴 亘 佴 乇賷丕賱丕鬲 賵賷賰鬲卮賮 丕賳賴丕 賲賰爻賵乇丞 賵賱丕賷爻鬲胤賷毓 丕毓丕丿鬲賴丕 ..
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賷爻鬲毓賷賳 丿賵賳 賱賵賱賵 亘丨乇賮賷 賷購丿毓賶 鈥溫操娯娰呚р€� 賱廿氐賱丕丨 丕賱噩乇丞貙 賱賰賳 丕賱丨乇賮賷 賷毓賱賯 丿丕禺賱賴丕! .
丕賱賲賮丕乇賯丞 鬲賳卮兀 丨賷賳 賷氐亘丨 丕賱丨賱 丕賱賵丨賷丿 賴賵 賰爻乇 丕賱噩乇丞 賱廿禺乇丕噩 丕賱丨乇賮賷貙 賲賲丕 賷購馗賴乇 毓亘孬賷丞 丕賱賲賵賯賮.
賷丨囟乇 丿賵賳 賱賵賱賵 丕賱賲丨丕賲賷 賱丨賱 賷賳丕爻亘 丕賱胤乇賮賷賳 .. 賵賷乇賮囟丞 丕賱胤乇賮賷賳 ..賵鬲賳鬲賴賷 賳賴丕賷丞 賰賵賲賷丿賷丞 ..
丕賱賲爻乇丨賷丞 鬲爻禺乇 賲賳 丕賱賮噩賵丞 亘賷賳 丕賱胤亘賯丕鬲 丕賱丕噩鬲賲丕毓賷丞 賵丕賱亘賷乇賵賯乇丕胤賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲丐丿賷 廿賱賶 鬲毓賯賷丿 丕賱賲卮賰賱丕鬲 亘丿賱賸丕 賲賳 丨賱賴丕.
鬲丨賲賱 丕賱賲爻乇丨賷丞 賲毓丕賳賷 毓賲賷賯丞 丨賵賱 丕賱氐乇丕毓 亘賷賳 賲丨丕賵賱丕鬲 丕賱廿氐賱丕丨 賵丕賱賳鬲丕卅噩 睾賷乇 丕賱賲鬲賵賯毓丞貙 賮賷 廿胤丕乇 賰賵賲賷丿賷 爻丕禺乇.
August 29, 2017
Ogni volta che tocca a me accompagnare a scuola il nipotino di nove anni, lui mi chiede: mi racconti una storia? E io gli racconto la Bibbia, l'Iliade, l'Odissea, Boccaccio, Pirandello... Stamattina mi sono cimentata con La giara, scoprendo che non me la ricordavo mica tanto bene, perch锟斤拷 i classici sono quei libri che crediamo tutti di sapere a memoria e invece quando li rileggi ci scopri sempre qualcosa di nuovo.
In conclusione, devo dire un 'grazie' grande come una casa a Nicol貌 che mi ha costretto a rileggere questo perfetto meccanismo a orologeria di avarizia, rabbia, ripicca e ironia.
In conclusione, devo dire un 'grazie' grande come una casa a Nicol貌 che mi ha costretto a rileggere questo perfetto meccanismo a orologeria di avarizia, rabbia, ripicca e ironia.
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