First Published in a single volume in 1883, the stories collected in Little Novels of Sicily are drawn from the Sicily of Giovanni Verga's childhood, reported at the time to be the poorest place in Europe. Verga's style is swift, sure, and implacable; he plunges into his stories almost in midbreath, and tells them with a stark economy of words. There's something dark and tightly coiled at the heart of each story, an ironic, bitter resolution that is belied by the deceptive simplicity of Verga's prose, and Verga strikes just when the reader's not expecting it.

Translator D. H. Lawrence surely found echoes of his own upbringing in Verga's sketches of Sicilian life: the class struggle between property owners and tenants, the relationship between men and the land, and the unsentimental, sometimes startlingly lyric evocation of the landscape. Just as Lawrence veers between loving and despising the industrial North and its people, so too Verga shifts between affection for and ironic detachment from the superstitious, uneducated, downtrodden working poor of Sicily. If Verga reserves pity for anyone or anything, it is the children and the animals, but he doesn't spare them. In his experience, it is the innocents who suffer first and last and always.

With his novels, short stories, and plays, Giovanni Verga (1840-1922) achieved renown in the Italian verismo (realist) school of writing. This outstanding selection of 12 short stories -- most from the Sicilian writer's Vita dei campi (Rural Life) and Novelle rusticane (Rustic Stories) -- attests to his storytelling skills.
Selections include Nedda, a short story that initiated Verga's naturalistic depictions of Sicilian peasant life; the much-celebrated Cavalleria Rusticana (Rustic Chivalry), a tale of flirtation, jealousy, and a deadly duel; and L'amante di Gramigna (Gramigna's Mistress), a fascinating psychological study. The collection also features Reverie, Jeli the Herdsman, Nasty Redhead, The She-Wolf, Pestilential Air, Possessions, The History of St. Joseph's Donkey, Dark Bread, and Liberty.
For this dual-language book, the editor has provided excellent new English translations on pages facing the original Italian text, as well as an informative Introduction and notes.

Giovanni Carmelo Verga (2 September 1840 - 27 January 1922) was a Sicilian realist (verista) writer, best known for his depictions of life in his native Sicily, especially the short story (and later play) Cavalleria rusticana it] and the novel I Malavoglia (The House by the Medlar Tree).

The first son of Giovanni Battista Catalano Verga and Caterina Di Mauro, Verga was born into a prosperous family of Catania in Sicily. He began writing in his teens, producing the largely unpublished, but currently quite famous, historical novel Amore e Patria (Love and Country); then, although nominally studying law at the University of Catania, he used money his father had given him to publish his I carbonari della montagna (The Carbonari of the Mountain) in 1861 and 1862. This was followed by Sulle lagune (On the Lagoons) in 1863.

He moved to Milan in 1872, where he developed his new approach, characterized by the use of dialogue to develop character, which resulted in his most significant works. In 1880 his story collection Vita dei campi (Life in the Fields), including Fantasticheria (Daydreaming), La lupa (The She-wolf), Jeli il pastore (Jeli the Shepherd), Pentolaccia (The Plaything), and Rosso Malpelo, most of which were about rural Sicily, came out. It also included Cavalleria rusticana (Rustic Chivalry), which he adapted for the theatre and later formed the basis for several opera librettos including Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana and Gastaldon's Mala Pasqua . Verga's short story, Malaria, was one of the first literary depictions of the disease malaria.

He then embarked on a projected series of five novels, but only completed two, I Malavoglia and Mastro-don Gesualdo (1889), the second of which was the last major work of his literary career. Both are widely recognized as masterpieces.

In 1894 Verga moved back to Catania, to the house in which he had lived as a child. In 1920 he was appointed Senator of the Kingdom (Senatore del Regno) for life (ad vitam). He died of a cerebral thrombosis in 1922. (wikipedia.org)

Giovanni Carmelo Verga (2 September 1840 - 27 January 1922) was a Sicilian realist (verista) writer, best known for his depictions of life in his native Sicily, especially the short story (and later play) Cavalleria rusticana it] and the novel I Malavoglia (The House by the Medlar Tree).

The first son of Giovanni Battista Catalano Verga and Caterina Di Mauro, Verga was born into a prosperous family of Catania in Sicily. He began writing in his teens, producing the largely unpublished, but currently quite famous, historical novel Amore e Patria (Love and Country); then, although nominally studying law at the University of Catania, he used money his father had given him to publish his I carbonari della montagna (The Carbonari of the Mountain) in 1861 and 1862. This was followed by Sulle lagune (On the Lagoons) in 1863.

He moved to Milan in 1872, where he developed his new approach, characterized by the use of dialogue to develop character, which resulted in his most significant works. In 1880 his story collection Vita dei campi (Life in the Fields), including Fantasticheria (Daydreaming), La lupa (The She-wolf), Jeli il pastore (Jeli the Shepherd), Pentolaccia (The Plaything), and Rosso Malpelo, most of which were about rural Sicily, came out. It also included Cavalleria rusticana (Rustic Chivalry), which he adapted for the theatre and later formed the basis for several opera librettos including Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana and Gastaldon's Mala Pasqua . Verga's short story, Malaria, was one of the first literary depictions of the disease malaria.

He then embarked on a projected series of five novels, but only completed two, I Malavoglia and Mastro-don Gesualdo (1889), the second of which was the last major work of his literary career. Both are widely recognized as masterpieces.

In 1894 Verga moved back to Catania, to the house in which he had lived as a child. In 1920 he was appointed Senator of the Kingdom (Senatore del Regno) for life (ad vitam). He died of a cerebral thrombosis in 1922. (wikipedia.org)

Published in 1880, one year before Verga's influential novel The Malavoglias, Life in the Country first marked his stylistic shift towards the verismo school of Italian realism. The collection's centrepiece, 'Rustic Honour' ('Cavalleria rusticana') - which was famously adapted into a play by the author before becoming an opera by Mascagni - tells the tale of Turiddu, a poor young man who returns from military service and finds himself embroiled in adultery and a feud with a rival.

Also including the well-known stories 'She-Wolf' and 'Foxfur', Life in the Country captures, in an objective, non-judgemental prose, the difficult conditions and personal struggles of the peasant class in his native Sicily at the turn of the twentieth century.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1979.

Giovanni Carmelo Verga (2 September 1840 - 27 January 1922) was an Italian realist (verista) writer, best known for his depictions of life in his native Sicily, especially the short story (and later play) Cavalleria rusticana [it] and the novel I Malavoglia (The House by the Medlar Tree). He began writing in his teens, producing the largely unpublished, but currently quite famous, historical novel Amore e Patria (Love and Country); then, although nominally studying law at the University of Catania, he used money his father had given him to publish his I carbonari della montagna (The Carbonari of the Mountain) in 1861 and 1862. This was followed by Sulle lagune (On the Lagoons) in 1863.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1979.

Giovanni Verga was an Italian realist writer, best known for his depictions of life in Sicily, and especially for the Little Novels of Sicily (Novelle Rusticane)

CONTENTS

Note on Giovanni Verga

His Reverence

So Much For The King

Don Licciu Papa

The Mystery Play

Malaria

The Orphans

Property

Story of The Saint Joseph's Ass

Blackbread

The Gentry Liberty

Across The Sea

Mastro -Don Gesualdo By Giovanni Verga A Novel. Translated by D.H. Lawrence. Verga, who died in 1922, is recognised as one of the greatest of Italian writers of fiction. 'It is a fine full tale, a fine full picture of life, with a bold beauty of its own which Mr. Lawrence must have relished greatly as he translated it' Observer

SET IN and around Catania, Sicily, on the verge of the Italian Risorgimento, Sparrow, first published as Storia di una capinera in 1870, tells the story of Maria, the daughter of a low-level bureaucrat, like so many other young women of the time, forced into the convent by economic and social forces. After a brief - and almost imaginary - flirtation with the son of neighbors forced together with her family during a cholera epidemic, Maria is sent back into the convent, there to go from disappointed love, to broken health, madness, and death. Verga creates a tour-de-force of emotional intensity that represents one of the late flowerings of the Romantic movement and opens the door to the Realism of the late nineteenth century. Deeply emotional in its revelation, yet bitterly ironic in its criticism of Bourbon Italy's oppression of women, Sparrow still has the capacity to fascinate and outrage while it delights the reader with the bravado of Verga's fictional constructions.

On the face of things, Mastro Don Gesualdo is a success. Born a peasant but a man' with an eye for everything going', he becomes one of the richest men in Sicily, marrying an aristocrat with his daughter destined, in time, to wed a duke. But Gesualdo falls foul of the rigid class structure of mid-19th century Sicily. His title Mastro Don, 'Worker Gentleman', is ironic in itself. Peasants and gentry alike resent his extraordinary success. And when the pattern of society is threatened by revolt, Gesualdo is the rebels' first target.

D. H. Lawrence writes Giovanni Verga, the Sicilian novelist and playwright, is surely the greatest writer of Italian fiction, after Manzoni. Originally published under the title Novelle Rusticane , this delightful collection of stories from the Sicily of the 1800's is translated and introduced by Lawrence.

Giovanni Verga was an Italian realist writer, best known for his depictions of life in Sicily, and especially for the Little Novels of Sicily (Novelle Rusticane)

The stories of Giovanni Verga (1840-1922) are wonderful evocations of ordinary Italian life, focusing in particular on his native Sicily. In an original and dynamic prose style, he portrays such eternal human themes as love, honour and adultery with rich and colourful language. The inspiration for Mascagni's opera, 'Cavalleria Rusticana' depicts a young man's triumphal return home from the army, spoilt when he learns that his beloved is engaged to another man. Verga's acute awareness of the hardships and aspirations of peasant life can be seen in stories such as 'Nedda', 'Picturesque Lives' and 'Black Bread', while others such as 'The Reverend' and 'Don Licciu Papa' show the dominance of the church and the law in the Sicilian communities he portrays so vividly.

Under The Shadow Of Etna: Sicilian Stories is a collection of short stories originally written in Italian by Giovanni Verga in 1895. The book is a vivid portrayal of the Sicilian way of life, capturing the essence of the island's culture, traditions, and people. The stories are set against the backdrop of Mount Etna, the active volcano that dominates the landscape of Sicily. The book is divided into five sections, each containing a series of stories that explore different themes such as love, family, poverty, and social class. The characters in the stories are ordinary people, struggling to make a living in a harsh and unforgiving environment. They are farmers, fishermen, and laborers, who face daily challenges and hardships. Verga's writing style is simple yet powerful, and he uses vivid descriptions and imagery to bring the characters and their surroundings to life. The stories are filled with emotion and often have a tragic ending, reflecting the harsh realities of life in Sicily. Under The Shadow Of Etna: Sicilian Stories is a timeless classic that offers a glimpse into the rich and complex culture of Sicily. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Italian literature, and for those who want to explore the human condition in a unique and compelling way.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Giovanni Verga (1840-1922) is the most important of the Italian Realist School of novelists. This new edition of The House by the Medlar Tree (I Malavoglia) makes the complete English version of his masterpiece available once more. The story of the Malavoglia, a family of poor Sicilian fisherman, is Verga's moving rendering of the theme of mankind's struggle for self-betterment, the dignity of the struggle in the face of poverty and hardship, and the tragedy that the struggle inevitably incurs.

D. H. Lawrence described Vega's work as Homeric. Rayond Rosenthal's translation of I Malavoglia is the only complete version of this novel in English and conveys Vega's lyrical realism and the flavor of Sicialian village life superbly.

The book is introduced by Giovanni Ceccheti, whose own translations of Verga, Mastro-don Gesualdo and The She-Wolf and Other Stories, are also available from California.

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The House by the Medlar-Tree Giovanni Verga stands as a masterpiece of 19th-century Italian literature, epitomizing the realist tradition while offering a profound exploration of Sicilian rural life. Set amidst the rustic landscapes of Sicily, this novel delves into the complexities of social class, poverty, and honor, weaving a poignant family saga that unfolds with tragicomic flair. Within the framework of realism, Verga meticulously portrays the traditional values and customs of Sicilian society, capturing the essence of rural life with remarkable authenticity. Through vivid descriptions and rich characterizations, the novel immerses readers in the psychological depth of its protagonists, revealing their struggles, aspirations, and conflicts. At its core, The House by the Medlar-Tree is a tragicomedy that navigates the intricate dynamics of family relationships and societal expectations. Against the backdrop of Sicily's rugged terrain, the characters grapple with the harsh realities of poverty and social hierarchy, confronting their own sense of honor and morality in the process. Through Verga's masterful storytelling, this Sicilian novel transcends its time and place, offering timeless insights into the human condition while shedding light on the enduring power of tradition and resilience in the face of adversity.

Under the Shadow of Etna: Sicilian Stories from the Italian of Giovanni Verga, a classical book, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we at Alpha Editions have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work and hence the text is clear and readable.