In a previous post, Looking Under The Hood, I introduced the writer Ignazio Silone. He wrote Bread and Wine in the 1930s and it has themes of Socialism, Christianity, corruption, betrayal, love and survival, set in the hills, mountains, farms, villages and towns of Abruzzo. What a mixture, how can it fail to entertain and inspire. In fact there are many reviews of the book available and they all (all the reviews I have read anyway) sing its praises. I, however, cannot.
I agree that the subjects covered by the book are important. I am also delighted to get an insight into life in Abruzzo during that period. But I just didn’t enjoy reading it. Maybe it is because I was reading an English translation; perhaps it flows more freely in Italian. I really felt many of the conversations and situations were not natural. I could not imagine people talking the way the characters talked.
So would I recommend the book? I guess it depends on your purpose for reading it. If, like me, you are interested in Abruzzo, its history and culture, then yes you should read it. Especially if you have limited or no Italian, as I haven’t found many books (fact or fiction) relating to Abruzzo, in English. If you are just looking for an entertaining novel, in which you can lose yourself in the characters and be swept away, this (in English anyway) isn’t the book for you.
Having said that, the book is important. It is set during the 1930s in Abruzzo, during the fascist period and the outbreak of war with Abyssinia (Ethiopia). It suggests that pure Christianity and pure Socialism are not incompatible. And it outlines the struggles the peasants face on a daily basis. Definitely important issues.
Some point in the future, definitely not now, I’ll read The Seed Beneath The Snow, the final part of Ignazio Silone’s Abruzzo Trilogy. I’ll do this because I am interested in Abruzzo; I want to be informed and to understand, not because I expect entertainment. I’m just not ready yet! And it’s at least 100 pages longer than Bread and Wine.
If anyone has any other recommendations of books relating to Abruzzo, in English, please let me know. Just add a comment to this, or any other post.
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