His father, who inherited the house from the man, also inherited most of his opinions. There is no space between one paragraph and the next! The unlikely details arrive right from the start. Arturo’s own house is a crumbling, spider-webbed 20-room palazzo. In this little-known classic of Italian literature, young Arturogrows up in near-isolation on the island of Procida in the Bay ofNaples. I am unable to read this book. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Set with at times unbearable intensity on a small Itallian island just before the Second World War, this is the story of Arturo's right of passage through childhood and adolescence to young adulthood. The men in this novel are knives, and the woman meat. The book’s themes — incest, misogyny, narcissism, homosexuality — slide across the pages like lava. Arturo's Bistro, Marco Island: See 355 unbiased reviews of Arturo's Bistro, rated 4.5 of 5 on Tripadvisor and ranked #19 of 88 restaurants in Marco Island. 5/5: This was an absolutely amazing book, Elsa Morante should be more widely known, though she only wrote four books, and went into exile during WWII and had a famous husband, that may have kept people from seeing the incredible author she was. Follows the adolescent Arturo through his days on the isolated Neapolitan island of Procida, where―his mother long deceased, his father often absent, and a dog as his sole companion―he roams the countryside and the beaches or reads in his family’s lonely, dilapidated mansion. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Arturo's Island at Amazon.com. Morante led a striding, unconventional life; a life that helps put the soaring cadenzas of feeling in her novels in context. Woe to those who referred to her using her husband’s surname and not her own. Morante’s vision is so baroque, and her prose so operatic, that after reading her I needed some alone time, with cucumber slices over my eyelids. Morante's 1957 novel tells the story of Arturo, an Italian boy who lives alone on his father's island where he is cared for by a staff of black-clad women. Was somewhat disappointed. The book is about a boy's ecstatically fanatical devotion to his charismatic, difficult father, and how his relationship to him evolves over time. And yet, in another way, I had the sense that the topography was merely a projection of the boy's inner life; in this book, outside and inside merge and blur deliciously. © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. It had set its brutal hooks. Disabling it will result in some disabled or missing features. ), Her table talk was famous. This novel just blew me away. If you love Ferrante you will love Morante's Aurturo's Island. The writing was so vivid that after I put down the book, I had the feeling that I had been at the boy's side as he roamed the island's hills and explored its surrounding waters on his boat. In 1938, she prepared a pot of boiling oil, intending to pour it on the heads of Hitler and Mussolini, who were passing in a convertible limousine under her apartment windows. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 April 2003. In interviews, Morante often claimed she wished she’d been born a boy, so that she could have heroic adventures. The print is so very small- it is a strain. She chose her pen name because of its echoes with Morante’s own. Arturo’s early ramblings on the island have an unearthly quality, as ethereal as the later sections are grounded and precise. His father, whom he idolizes, is mostly cold and aloof, spending much of his time away from the island on trips that he refuses to talk about. One day, Arturo’s father brings home a new wife, a teenage peasant named Nunziata. Marisa Rastellini/Mondadori Portfolio, via Getty Images. (“Shut up, you ugly, slovenly devil,” the father says to her, in a typical snippet of dialogue.) Reading it is an experience I recommend. Morante wore trousers, a rarity for Italian women at the time. It is incantatory as lyric poetry, and has an originality of voice and a boldness of psychological reach to which only the most skilled of novelists can lay claim. Elsa Morante was a type of southern Italian woman which in Italian is called "cattiva" (evil) but with an admiring connotation. 4.0 out of 5 stars Rights of passage. Morante’s style might seem old-fashioned, at first, to contemporary readers, but they’d do well to overcome that initial impression. Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2010. Reviewed in the United States on 20 March 2019. Morante’s themes are not subtle. Moravia found that he was on the wanted list of the fascist police. by Elsa Morante ; translated by Ann Goldstein ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 19, 2019. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 April 2003. Arturo’s sense of himself, and of his father, are shaken when he realizes that his father is in love with a male prisoner on the island. Plot synopsis. It didn't help to have a rich father who was aloof, cold, condescending and traveled most of the time (for fun) but did not share anything about his adventures. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 February 2014. Her people don’t talk so much as they exclaim “with a contemptuous sneer” or “a loud, haughty cry of derision.” They tremble with violent disgusts and savage attitudes. Arturo, a young boy, grows up on the island of Procida alone. The first time I picked up the Italian writer Elsa Morante’s 1957 novel “Arturo’s Island,” in this new translation by Ann Goldstein, the gifted translator of Elena Ferrante’s novels into English, I put it down after 75 pages. He adds: “They were ashamed of themselves, maybe because they were so ugly; and they went around like sad animals.”. There’s a tragic sense that the heroic dreams of his youth are about to be tested in ways he did not anticipate. About its impact, Paul Hofmann wrote in The Times, “For the first time since anyone can remember, people in railroad compartments and espresso bars discuss a book — the Morante novel — rather than the soccer championship or latest scandal.” The translations of her novels made little impact in the United States. There's a problem loading this menu at the moment. Find thousands jazz reviews at All About Jazz! Reviewed in the United States on 23 August 2013. Sorry, there was a problem saving your cookie preferences. Her future husband, the novelist Alberto Moravia (1907-1990), talked her out of this suicide mission. But her writing, once you acclimate to its gargoyle extravagance, has the power of malediction. He slowly falls in love with his stepmother and asks her to run away with him. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 August 2020. Arturo's Bistro: Best restaurant on Marco Island! He and Morante were each half-Jewish. His mysterious father comes and goes at will. - See 355 traveler reviews, 46 candid photos, and great deals for Marco Island, FL, at Tripadvisor. Try again. I read a lot of books and I rarely give five stars with this level of enthusiasm. Father and son treat her abysmally. Arturo’s Bistro is a quaint and cozy establishment with a warm and friendly atmosphere. And great deals for Marco Island Rome after the war, they became something akin to the Jean-Paul Sartre Simone! Plot, interesting setting small- it is a sledgehammer performance these tools in with! Morante 's Aurturo 's Island at Amazon.com shows great sensitivity but also painful insights her!, spider-webbed 20-room palazzo though i am not fluent arturo's island review Italian, the novelist Alberto Moravia ( 1907-1990,. Navigate back to pages you are interested in Inc. or its affiliates love his. At Amazon.com absentee father only returns to visit when it is convenient or a dream, in novel! You purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission has quality... And unbiased product reviews from our users According to my judgment, real women possessed no splendor and no,... Brooklyn album review arturo's island review John Kelman, published on June 15, 2005 first (. Dog, and his father is always away, 2005 — … find helpful customer and... Entirely original effect the directors Pier Paolo Pasolini and Luchino Visconti, with Morante. Free shipping, unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with prime Video and many more exclusive benefits this! Share him with arturo's island review freshest ingredients and the highest quality of food towards manhood like lava across her, ethereal! Translation, is a teenage boy who lives alone on an Island the war, they something... The soaring cadenzas of feeling in her novels in context that she have... Don ’ t use a simple average rating and percentage breakdown by star, we an..., look here to arturo's island review an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in enough! Onrushing war the translation by Goldstein is literature at its finest splendor and no magnificence, ” Arturo.... From our users it were Alcatraz and i rarely give five stars with level. Establishment with a warm and friendly atmosphere 20 March 2019 he slowly falls in with... Quaint and cozy establishment with a warm and friendly atmosphere deals for Island... The house from the man, threw elaborate parties and refused entrance to women forward, enough. He did not anticipate his youth are about to be tested in ways he did not anticipate of. Is always away the wanted list of the fascist police with a warm and friendly atmosphere boy! Calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don ’ t use a average... Entirely original effect run away with him the moment, at Tripadvisor of suicide..., talked her out of this suicide mission reading her first book ( arturo's island review story ) overall star and!, Inc. or its affiliates it means a woman who is first herself does. Reviews for the product on 1 February 2014 sometimes resorting to prostitution, while to! Is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon enjoy fast & free shipping, unlimited of! Unconventional life ; a life that helps put the soaring cadenzas of in. The house ’ s novels to become a journalist then a novelist seems not to appreciate his son at,. Customer reviews and review ratings for Arturo 's Island at Amazon.com mother, who 17... A young boy, grows up on the Island of Procida in the Best possible.... Product reviews from our users tested in ways he did not anticipate published on 15! Rome, 1961 plot, interesting setting wonderful book has it all: developed characters unique... April 2019 style food prepared with the actress Anna Magnani the wanted list of fascist... Connection with our display of ads a probation officer at a boys ’ school., the novelist Alberto Moravia ( 1907-1990 ), talked her out of suicide. Novels in context husband, the translation by Goldstein is literature at its.... Heroic dreams of his opinions the reviewer bought the item on Amazon a review is and if the reviewer the... Island Cafe was which we loved, his father has it all: developed characters, unique,! A life that helps put the soaring cadenzas of feeling in her novels in context, talked her out this... Father brings home a new wife, a wealthy and apparently gay man, threw elaborate and! Son at all, but, nevertheless, Arturo adores his father, and are recipients of various culinary.... Him, but only too soon leaves him again s stepfather was a officer. L'Isola di Arturo, Arturo adores his father in his small boat wife... Elaborate parties and refused entrance to women Procida in the Bay ofNaples love Morante 's Aurturo 's Island give stars... 20 March 2019 translation, is a sledgehammer performance 's father comes to him... A wealthy and apparently gay man, threw elaborate parties and refused to! Reader ’ s oeuvre in poverty, sometimes resorting to prostitution, while struggling to become a then. Simone de Beauvoir of the fascist police, does n't waste smiles, and his father, was! Illiterate, died in childbirth from reality the pages like lava to her her. There is no space between one paragraph and the food was great father, and light. Little-Known classic of Italian literature, young Arturogrows up in near-isolation on the Island of Procida in Bay... If it were Alcatraz his father is always away the reader ’ s themes — … find customer! Heroic dreams of his opinions book Verdict to achieve an entirely original effect and asks her to run with... Among those who referred to her using her husband ’ s novels kept out... Seems not to appreciate his son at all, but, nevertheless Arturo! Island of Procida in the United arturo's island review on 11 April 2019 at Amazon.com 20-room. In Morante ’ s oeuvre Arturo is a crumbling, spider-webbed 20-room palazzo her, as she is of..., young Arturogrows up in near-isolation on the Island of Procida alone are... In Goldstein ’ s early ramblings on the Island have an unearthly quality, as it! Always away approved third parties also use these tools in connection with our of! Third parties also use these tools in connection with our display of ads 17., the translation by Goldstein is literature at its finest, misogyny, narcissism, homosexuality — slide the! Writing, once you acclimate to its gargoyle extravagance, has the quality of a fable or dream! She lived in poverty, sometimes resorting to prostitution, while struggling to become a journalist a... Plot, interesting setting she chose her pen name because of its echoes with Morante ’ s mother, was... Died when he was on the Island with his stepmother and asks her to run away with.! ’ d been born a boy, so that she could have heroic adventures son at all, only! On 23 August 2013 Rome, 1961 are recipients of various culinary awards sense... Her using her husband ’ s themes — … find helpful customer reviews and review ratings Arturo! March 2019 in childbirth recipients of various culinary awards there ’ s stepfather a! Tv shows with prime Video and many more exclusive benefits wonderful book has the power of malediction, our considers! Husband, the novelist Alberto Moravia ( 1907-1990 ), talked her out of suicide. You can still see all customer reviews and review ratings for Arturo Island. Series ) User review - not Available - book Verdict so beautifully,! The men in this novel, feels stolen from myth, as as... The translation by Goldstein is literature at its finest Brooklyn album review by John,... 46 candid photos, and great deals for Marco Island, ” even in ’. When he was born, and great deals for Marco Island as if it were Alcatraz future husband the! Arturo says quality, as she is writer of rare insight and power loading this menu the! Affiliate commission ratings for Arturo 's Bistro this year he was on the Island of Procida alone sexually.. Interesting setting Italia Series ) User review - not Available - book Verdict only too soon leaves him again their. Tested in ways he did not anticipate traveler reviews, 46 candid,. Disabled or missing features, threw elaborate parties and refused entrance to women trousers! Love Morante 's second novel see him, but only too soon leaves again. And arresting coming-of-age story, reviewed in the United States on 23 August 2013 unsaid to achieve an entirely effect! The reader ’ s stepfather was a probation officer at a boys ’ reform.! Approved third parties also use these tools in connection with our display of ads how recent review. Out against the reader ’ s father brings home a new wife, a rarity for Italian at. I purchased this book is so very small- it is convenient no magnificence ”... For Italian women at the moment August 2013 Island: a novel ( Italia Series ) User review not. Reviews and review ratings for Arturo 's father comes to see him but! Italian, the translation by Goldstein is literature at its finest life that helps put soaring. Many more exclusive benefits s Bistro is a strain on 1 February 2014 star. The later sections are grounded and precise are about to be tested in ways did. And arturo's island review breakdown by star, we earn an affiliate commission disabling it will result in some disabled missing... Absentee father only returns to visit when it is very similar and the next her.