Page 4 - Italian-American Herald - November 2024

4 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | NOVEMBER2024 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD THE ARTS
“I’m Not Scared” is about a 9-year-old boy and his friends who make a frightening discovery in the countryside. The 2003 film is based on the novel “No Ho Paura.”
Books and movies: An open window into Italian voices, Italian culture
Continued from front page
Giuseppe Garibaldi, the leader of the famous Redshirts, swept through Sicily with his army. The story revolves around a Sicilian Prince, Fabrizio di Salina, who struggles to maintain the aristocratic life he has always known as he faces his “kingdom” being swallowed up by an impending unified Italy. It is a fascinating look at that period of time on the island and also may offer some insight into why families and communities feel they must first rely on each other before the government.
Tomasi was the last in a line of minor princes in Sicily. He first conceived of writing a historical novel in the 1930s based on
his great-grandfather, Don Giulio Fabrizio Tomasi, another Prince of Lampedusa. The novel was published in 1958 under the title “Il Gattopardo,” which refers to the serval,
a small species of cat found in Sub-Saharan Africa. This was the symbol on the Tomasi di Lampedusa coat of arms.
Stefania Aucialso penned historical novels about Sicily with “I Leoni di Sicilia”
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in 2019 followed by “L’inverno dei leoni”
in 2021. Both books center on the real-life Florio family in Sicily, who became one of the most prominent merchant families in Italy and Europe during the 1800s. The story follows not only the rise and waning of their power but also delves into the history, politics, fashion, and commerce of the times. The family originated from Bagnara Calabra and left after a series of earthquakes to
settle in Palermo in 1799. Their businesses included the Florio Winery in Marsala and TheTonnara di Favignana, one of the largest tuna fisheries in the Mediterranean which closed in 1977. They were also the founders of the newspaper L’Ora and are credited with creating the Targa Florio, one of the oldest and longest car races in the world.
Italo Calvino was another prolific writer who based many of his novels on his experiences during World War II but also took his readers back to the 1300s with the book “The Name of The Rose.” Published in 1980 the novel was set in in
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anItalian monastery in the year 1327 with
a thought-provoking story questioning the meaning of “truth” from a variety of religious, philosophical, intellectual, and historical perspectives. The story follows the clever friar William of Baskerville and the novice Adso as they investigate a series of suspicious deaths at the abbey. As they search for answers they must deal with the complex politics and controversies of the medieval church. His descriptions of monastic life bring to light the world of medieval Italy.
Set in the 1600s, “The Betrothed” (“I Promessi Sposi”) by Alessandro Manzoni
tells the tale of two young lovers who are forbidden to marry by the local baron. They flee their homes and must face war, famine, and the plague before they are reunited again. The novel offers a detailed picture into a turbulent period in Italy’s history and is also noted for its lifelike portrayal of the real-life plague.
Carlo Collodi is another acclaimed writer who authored the original story of Pinocchio.
One great historical novel about Sicily
is 1958’s
“Il Gattopardo,” the saga of an aristocratic family set during the time of Italian reunification.
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