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Reading list: Verdi

Marie Gryson from Walry bookshop has put together a reading list inspired by our concert, *Verdi: Requiem*

Verdi’s tribute to Alessandro Manzoni makes his Requiem an ode to Italian culture. In the same spirit, Marie Gryson (Walry bookshop) has put together a reading list : a selection of Italian classics. Stories that transport you straight to the heart of Italy.
 
with thanks to Confituur Boekhandels, the colourful alliance of independent bookshops

The Betrothed

Alessandro Manzoni

Northern Italy, seventeenth century. Renzo and Lucia are about to get married, but the priest refuses to perform the ceremony because the local lord appears to have taken a fancy to Lucia. She seeks refuge in a convent, but is betrayed and abducted by a robber baron. Renzo ends up in the big city, Milan, where famine is rife.

The postwoman

Francesca Giannone

1934, Puglia. Anna, originally from northern Italy, moves with her family to her husband’s home village. As a free-spirited woman with a mind of her own, Anna is a striking figure in the traditional southern Italian village. As the first female postwoman and a champion of women’s rights, she arouses suspicion. Set against the backdrop of the harsh war years, a moving novel unfolds, full of courage, passion and unbreakable family ties.

My Brilliant Friend

Elena Ferrante

A modern masterpiece by one of Italy’s most acclaimed authors, My Brilliant Friend is a rich, intense and heart-warming story about two friends, Elena and Lila. In her inimitable style, Ferrante paints a precise portrait of these two women, which is at once the story of a nation and a moving reflection on the nature of friendship.

The Story

Elsa Morante

Ida Mancuso lives with her son Nino in war-torn Rome. After being raped by a German soldier, she gives birth to another child: Useppe. The little boy will not live long, but his short life is sunny and enchanting, despite the cold, hunger and misery of the war. Through this moving story, Elsa Morante shows how innocent people are crushed by the course of history.

On this side of the river

Alessandra Selmi

Cristoforo Crespi dreams of building a factory and an idealistic workers’ village on the banks of the River Adda, and risks everything to make it happen. When Emilia, the daughter of one of the Crespis’ workers, arrives, her life becomes inextricably intertwined with that of the community. Against a backdrop of social divisions and historical upheaval, a special bond develops between her and the heir, Silvio Crespi.

The Eight Mountains

Paolo Cognetti

Pietro grows up with his family in the bustling city of Milan. Every summer, they escape to the mountains, to a small village in the Val d’Aosta in northern Italy. It is there that he meets Bruno. Their friendship develops into a seemingly unbreakable bond, forged by shared summers filled with endless walks and the rhythm of the mountains.