Here's a piece from a little known composer, John Ireland. It is the second movement of his violin concerto, Lento Expressivo.
A couple of Saturdays ago, Josh and I went to a pet store to buy fish. Josh has two aquariums in our living room and he wanted to add some Jack Dempseys and Silver Dollars to the one. The man with the fish was from Zimbabwe, a rugged looking guy in his forties, with a brown pony tail and one of those British sounding accents. He and Josh engaged in an hour long debate about what sort of fish Josh should buy to populate his tank. Clinton (that's the man's name, I assume he won't be reading my blog) was determined that what Josh needed was African Cichlids and Josh was equally determined about his Jack Dempseys and Silver Dollars. Back and forth, back and forth.
How did it resolve? We came home with this little blue blizzard that Clinton had hand raised. Isn't she just a little puff ball? I named her Sophie Grace. The Sophie is because I think that is a cute girl's name for a cute little raptor. Grace is because a friend of mine said that since she's a Quaker, she should have some kind of religious name, too.
The Garden of the Finzi-Continis by Giorgio BassaniMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is my first time reading Bassani and I must say I enjoyed this book.
What I found interesting is that the background landscape was the arrival of Fascism and the imprisonment of the Jews, during WWII.
The narrator is remembering his youth. He has been through much since then, referring only once to his imprisonment during the war, because he is hearkening back to an earlier time.
The story revolves around the Finzi-Continis family who are wealthy Jewish aristocrats. The narrator becomes obsessed with the daughter Micol, who nevertheless does not return his interest. The narrator believes because he comes from a middle class Jewish family Micol see no future with him. The narrator suffers and cannot defuse the passion he feels for a woman who lives in a secluded house, separated from everyone else and lives a life of exclusive privilege.
Throughout the story we are subject to the chiaroscuro of the narrators violent love and unrequited torment in contrast to Micol's indifference while she lives a life of wealth and affluence. Micol's life is idyllic, her parents have made it so by excluding themselves from everything else.
Meanwhile fascism is creeping up and by the end of the story it arrives and covers its shadow over everything else.
This story is very well written and fascinating in its sketch of human nature.
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5 comments:
This book has been hovering on the outskirts of my bookish consciousness for a long time. The parallel threads of obsessive romantic interest and encroaching fascism seem to be an unusual combination. It also sounds very creative. I should give this one a try.
Congratulations on your finding Sophie Grace!
I just recently came across this author and a couple of other Italian authors and Jewish authors from around WWII and earlier. I am finding their work very interesting and well written.
Sophie says thank you!
Have a good week.
so you went to a fish store and came home with a bird? skillfully done! on my bike ride today i stopped for a break at a walmart and while eating a cup of yogurt i watched a hawk floating in a cloudy sky. during the period i saw him, about ten minutes, he coasted in circles, covering about half the sky and never flapped his wings once. this was on a windy day. i'm in awe about how it was able to do that even against the wind. amazing creatures, birds...
like Brian, i've heard about this book for years. i sort of associated it with "The Leopard", but it doesn't sound like it resembles that novel at all...
my last comment vanished; maybe i forgot to push the right button. anyway, an interesting post and congrats on the new addition!
Luckily your last comment did not vanish. We have a hawk and his mate that lives in our neighborhood. They often perch in our Oak Tree. They have a lonesome cry. They are beautiful. At night occasionally I hear an owl just outside my bedroom window. I love birds.
I have not read the Leopard, but I am now going to look it up.
Josh did get his Cichlids, but he did not get the African Cichlids that Clinton thought he should get. He got some that were less colorful. And for several weeks, went on and on how the fish he chose were preferable to the Africans.
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