The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-06-20
KY Book,
by A. de t. Gingras

a
lated from the Italian by Erie Mos
bacher, novel, published by Grove
Press, 50 w. Street New York
City, PAT pageS.)
This novel, even in translation,
is an enriehing and probably en-
during literary experience.
But there are times when the
reader isn't sure Giovanni Verga
| is a gentleman. Even an author
hasn't the right to hit an old man
when he is down, as many times
as Mr.. Verga does his principal
character, Master 'Ntoni Malavog-
liza. If this novel lad been more
widely translated, Balzac'S ''Le
Pere Goriot'' would long ago have
: had to relinquish the doubtful honor
|. of being the elderly fictionaI man
] most kicked about by fate and pro-
geny.
Giovanni Verga writes Of Sicil-
ian fishing village of about 100
Years ago.
The Malavoglia family who live
| in the house by the nedlar tree
have been good and honest fisher
J folk for many generations. Then
! something goes wrong. Misfortune
, comes to the family beginning with
J a too-venturesoine business deal,
] and continuing more fundamentally
, when Master Ntoni's 'Ntoni, the
: sgrandson who Is next in line to be
J head of the family, runs 'amuck.
I And the modern reader has an
: interesting reaction to this young
J man 'Ntoni. Accustomed to the adj
; vantages of modern unionism, the
! reader is often in sympathy with
! this family black sheep. Young
: 'Ntoni protests against the rat race
. of long hours and the fiSherman's
; often pitiful pay for his labor. He
z sees some of the members of the
community taking advantage of
the more childiike and honest citi-
zens. In his service in the Navy
and on fortune-seeking excursion
. to the city, he observes how some
! people beyond his native village
have advantages and wealth, and
: others do not. If poor 'Ntoni takes
! to drink, smuggling and general
disintegration, the modern reader
: does feel that his inherent protest
is partially legitimate.
l Mr.. Verga is A coed story teller.
He isn't trying TO sell the reader
social reform, or better education,
or change of religious attitude.
He isn't completely sold on the
oyster ideal of the family. But he
shows its pull on the members as
the family maintains itself as an
entity, surrounded by the mani
mate things which have maintained
!: through several generations of ami
mate beings. He shows the tragedy
of ignorance, and Of superstition
blended with religion. At the same
! time his appreciation for the sim
pie life of the fishing village is
I very much in evidence through the
: whole novel.
] An interesting technique is used
in the unfolding of the story and
in the portrayal of TIE principal
characters. The author weaves
back and forth describing what a
dozen minor village characters in
! and out Of the Malavoglia family
] think about each other, and the
. story situations as they develop.
This is done in seemingly I'M
: studied and leisurely fashion.
While it isn't always as neat as
other devices, the total effect at
. the end of the book IS a most COM
] plete picture, not only Of the Mala.
, voglia family who live In the house
. by the medlar tree, but also OF the
| people of the village who are the
very important background figures
] on the canvas Of the novel.
Another feature Of the book Is
worthy Of comment. The modern
reader, accustomed 10 adultery in
every sixth chanfar and seductions
lavishly sprinkled throughout the
text, is almost surprised by the
basic morality Of most Of the poo
J pie. When courtships and marri-
ages are described, they are men.
! toned only delieately. and with no
Freudian probing. The one girl in
! the book who goes wrong. does so
I with such diffidence on the authors
part, that tine reader is NOT az all
sure exactly how wrong she does
so.
THE WILD HONEY by Victoria
Lincoln. collection Of short stories,
published BY Rsnehart and Co,
~ Madison Avenue New York
City. 23S pages j
More and more magazine fiction
writers are collecting their short
stories for book publication.
And such collections have rehI
value not only for bringing add
tional reyenua tn the author, brit
for the reader. A short story in
magazine is onsT 3 BARR spaoafal
AZ az author. ard nogt readers. ii
thes like THE sposafal, waald eEloy
more az the same Dish.
Some mediocre stuff al, Il
coarse. get between covers IS
result. TIE uatput q the wgsfsrs
for American magazines is by 70