11926 Reading recommendations sought

My husband reads those small dark blue books published by Sellerio editore Palermo at € 8 eg. He's just finished Via delle Oche by Carlo Lucarelli. We have both read this in English and that helped him with the Italian version. I confess that I do not read books in Italian because when I sit down to read it is for relaxation, rather than educational reasons, but I do read Italian magazines and the easier to read, Italian newspapers online. I also read Parallel Text type books ie. Penguin Short Stories in Italian. We both love Montalbano and so began with books published by Racconti Polizieschi. These are East Readers and very helpful to begin with.

[quote=gradese;113706]I wonder if anyone has any recommendations on Italian books to read?
I've been reading books by Camilleri of Montalbano fame, and though I like them a lot, they are full of Sicilian dialect. I can work out what it means from the context, but I think at my stage of learning the language I need to read more works in standard Italian.
I've also read some things by Alberto Moravia, but though his style is very good and comprehensible for a relative beginner like me, I don't really warm to his themes very much.
I was going to try some Umberto Eco, but the sheer length of his novels puts me off.
So, who are your favourite writers? I would be interested in recommendations on fiction and non-fiction.
Many thanks in advance![/quote]

I love the books and plays of the late Nobel prize laureate Luigi Pirandello. Two books I recommend are "The Late Mattia Pascal" along with "Three Plays by Luigi Pirandello: Six Characters in Search of an Author; Henry IV and Right You Are". You could get the Italian version or translated one. I have also just picked up Carlo Levi's "Christ Stopped at Eboli" and while I haven't read it yet, it has gotten great reviews. You could also read it in either language. Happy reading!

Well - I completlely agree with your reservations about Umberto Eco! I'll also second Lisa C's recommendation of Carlo Levi.
In addition, there is Primo Levi - he is somewhat 'political' in many of his books, but writes 'proper' Italian, although with a heavy use of metaphor which can be difficult to translate 'in your head'. His books are generally no more than 200 pages.
Another writer, much in the same mould as Primo Levi as far as writing style is concerned, is Italo Calvino - perhaps even more impenetrably metaphorical: "The novel begins in a railway station, a locomotive huffs, steam from a piston covers the opening of the chapter, a cloud of smoke hides part of the first paragraph" (from a translation of "Se una notte d'inverno un viaggiatore"). Clearly not the sort of book you would consider bedtime reading - but put aside a completely silent uninterrupted hour a day and reading his books is a joy.
But, I would persevere with Moravia, if you hadn't said you didn't get on with him, he would have been far and away my first recommendation: he doesn't always cover the same ground, so give him another chance! How about Il conformista by Moravia - have you read that one?

My favourite Italian book is "Il Gattopardo" by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. I have read it several times in Italian, English and Spanish and I always find something new and interesting in this book.

My suggestions are: l'isola di Arturo by Elsa Morante, Casa Rossa by Francesca Marciano, and I second the recommendation of Il Conformista by Moravia

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will give Moravia another chance, as his style is so good - at least for someone whose Italian isn't perfect. I've read some of his short stories, plus La Cosa, La Donna Leoparda, Viaggio a Roma and a couple of other things. I've read some Calvino, though he didn't really do much for me. I will try the others, too.

I'd be happy if I could find an Italian equivalent of Michael Dibdin or Donna Leon.

Giovanni Verga: Mastro Don Gesualdo, I Malavoglia, Cavalleria Rusticana on Other Stories. Wonderful descriptions of rural Sicilian life, Late 19th Century.

Quote....I'd be happy if I could find an Italian equivalent of Michael Dibdin or Donna Leon.

If that's the case try Gianrico Carofiglio. 4 novels about a lawyer who is a bit of a mess but likeable. Testimone inconsapevole. ( Involuntary Witness) starts the series. Again published by Sellerio editore, Palermo. So look out for those small dark blue books I suggested.

Hi
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so many good suggestions. Has anyone read Beppe Fenoglio, il partigiano jhonny? it is an interesting book, the use of the language was groundbreaking when it was published...he uses english and Italian in it. Calvino is also very good...but if you would like to try something contemporary why not read Diego de Silva, Non avevo capito niente, very entertaining!

I would second Italo Calvino - but I hated "se una notte...". Try Marcovaldo or I nostri antenati.
Also, much less intellectual, but when I started reading in Italian I just bought trashy books - literary equivalents of rom-coms if you like! They are really easy to read, no dialect terms, and you still learn loads of vocabulary. Just an idea!

This will keep me going for the next year! I had heard of Carofiglio and borrowed one of his from the local library. It turned out to be all about how to cross-examine witnesses. Interesting in its way but not what I was looking for. I'll go back and try to find his novels now. I agree about the Editore Sellerio books: Camilleri publishes with them, and they're handy to carry around.

Another interesting book by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa is "Racconti", a collection of short stories, many of them autobiographical and some of them are the foundations for scenes of "Il Gattopardo". It is published by "Feltrinelli" and it is not easy to find a copy.