I stopped at the age of 13 reading ‘’fotoromanzi’’ love stories with photos.
A present from my father: THE ROMAN EMPIRE with Emperor Augustus coin.
Not a conventional history book. Precious cover.
LA COSCIENZA DI ZENO very much impressed.
Oscar Wilde himself not accepted – not read in Italian schools. Oscar had trials.
Giacomo Leopardi’s all collections poems. …….
Another precious cover opened with passion- THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
And THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
Another precious red cover- the story of mental illness made history- THE HOLOCAUST IN 3 VOLUMES.
Biography of NAPOLEONE BONAPARTE History of an Empire that fast ended . Pre Romanticism.
ENDED- HE WAS NOT A ROMAN EMPEROR- NAPOLEON-
I have learnt about ‘’ruffiani and ruffiane’’ psychology in Fernando de Rojas’s masterpiece
LA CELESTINA- low level woman-
Not to mention the extremely well explained at the University DON QUIJOTE DE LA MANCHA’’
In Italian- and deeper in CASTILIAN SPANISH of the period.
A story of a dreamer and idealist.
On my own read Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn Henry Miller- the obscene American in Paris- the books left me somehow indifferent.
Don Giovanni in Sicilia – Vitaliano Brancati – explained in 3 sessions and read on my own once, very well written, read one more of the same author.
A mixture of everything with interruptions- to jump in something else.
Leonardo Sciascia- Il Giorno della civetta/ boring for me.
Edgar Allan POE’s poems- and the HERMAN HESSE very famous to talk about LOVE- and heal –
HERMAN HESSE- IL LUPO DELLA STEPPA- in Italian- Hesse did not convince me a bit.
Ernest Hemingway – threw in the garbage. Could not handle it.
Charles Dickens – very much appreciated in Italian schools- nice.
The powerful Sicilian writer Andrea Camilleri- very much loved- life-
KAFKA readings, museum visited.
The Italian communist writer- all in 4 days- gay, too much Communist perhaps or just too much into politics for a good writer- PIER PAOLO PASOLINI. Learnt quite a lot. Killed? Who knows. Read quite young and then older- a period in which social classes were still mentioned- harsh in the criticism of ‘’piccola borghesia ‘’ in Italy=so cruel, I was a child when they got rid of him.
A casual meeting with an Italian young woman during my school years who introduced me to Eastern Thought and Philosophies. ‘’WAIT A SECOND, I DO NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT WESTERN ONES’ ‘Let me read them simultaneously.
The fashionable OSHO – MEDITATION- INTERESTING- RATIONAL – CLEAR WHEN YOU READ and then you forget every single thing when you put your mind at rest. OSHO trip organizer for wealthy western hippies to take a break from materialistic world. 6000 EUROS TRIP- OSHO- DIFFERENT TEMPLES invited here and there. INSPIRATIONAL. READ IT. I WOULD NOT TODAY.
One day while walking I took a book Jiddi Khrisnamurti INDIA – 1 and more volumes. The Italian woman said ‘’come to my club’’ and I will introduce you to reincarnation- I – OBSESSED- AND IF I LIVED ANOTHER LIFE ELSEWHERE? Who knows? In those times- was important to know- I was in my 20’s. TODAY I DO NOT REALLY CARE OF ANY PAST LIFE. I do not remember any, not useful- KARMA books- and meetings with losers confirming that my KARMA was probably not good, to justify them, KARMA lovers- in Italy…does he/she make you suffer? KARMA.
2 visits to CATACOMBE CAPPUCCINI IN PALERMO- SCARY- SKULLS OF THE 19th century during the war for the ITALIAN INDEPENDENCE from the Austrians. Studied at school but wanted to know more. How Italy was born- who are we- history books about Italy- The country did not exist before 1870.Now we speak ITALIAN AND STUDY ITALIAN. The only dominant language. Moti Carbonari- revolutionaries against the foreign foe. The continuous invasions. THE POPE included. History and loves of Giuseppe Garibaldi- saw the uniforms worn by the skeletons in the Catacombe. Garibadi took a trip to Latin America. Blond- very long hair as depicted. Cavour’s intelligence, earl. The MIND. Giuseppe Mazzini. The Mind of the Italian Independence.
My course of studies did not contemplate too much ancient Western thought the Eastern even less. More practical and technical. Languages- Italian 1st and foremost. 2 years of Latin. And the 2 more languages.
Fell in love with Renaissance- let’s read more- Inventions- THE LIFE OF GALILEO GALILEI- A great man. Another curiosity in my mind we do study at school but not in the right way. THE FAMOUS DISCOVERY OF THE AMERICAS. Who brought Cristoforo Colombo to another continent he had no clue. Why he spoke to the extremist Catholic Isabela. A fanatic-AMBITIOUS- YET FANATIC-
The discovery of a new continent- NEW for us- but not so much for the locals. Who were the criminals in those ships: La NINA, LA PINTA and LA SANTA MARIA. A SPAIN HISTORY BOOK WAS MANDATORY IN DEEPER view. Italians as GREAT and famous sailors. Amerigo Vespucci.
Honore de Balzac had to study and Moliere at the UNIVERSITY along with psychology courses. Marcel Proust ‘’A la recherche du temps perdu’’- studied , read and a long essay had to write.
My father’s volumes: THE CAPITAL KARL MARX- AN INTELLIGENT GERMANY BORN, who ended up in London miserable slum the first years- extravagant as seen- the problem of capitalism in the 19th century Europe. Another wonderful cover- red and black – lustrous – ‘’the suffragette’s movement in England- fighting for women’s right to vote and political representation and voice. 1 nice volume I fell in love with.
Going back with my mind, memories of French professor who once said to me: how come you seem to dislike English, you have to speak it, read a wonderful French book in your future -I did it after 20 years. In French: LES LIASONS DANGEREUSE LACLOS- I loved it- about moral corruption- envy- and more…. using a naïve vehicle sex.
The beautiful MEXICAN writer – of the 16th century – a NUN – very attractive indeed- no dowry- she wrote the most beautiful love poems on GOD and other stories. JUANA INES DE LA CRUZ. THE NUN.
Read some more as fashionable DE GIORGI – I enjoyed – not so much- Milan Kundera, it was ok.
The entire collection of ANAIS NIN’S EROTIC POEMS. A very – unscrupulous woman.
Mandatory Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s books. I loved them in the time I was reading close to a window- I would never read them today.
Loved Miguel de Unamuno- i would like to read it once more if I could. Learned quite ……a bit of information.
Marguerite Duras- THE LOVER- SAIGON- An ugly writer who went back to France and described a love initiation of low-class French girl with a Chinese wealthy man- the cruelty of teen agers how far it can go- he deeply fell in love with her- used him- the cruelty of young teenagers women who learned fast how to use their body in exchange- fun- the 20’s or 30’s. IL MAL D’AMORE OF THE SAIGON MAN. Full of Opium. On the ship to France- she wept. She realised and learned. L’AMANT.
There are some more that left me indifferent.NO. I stop them at the 1st chapter.
Oh. I forgot to mention PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. When 14, King Arthur Middle Ages, and the overrated in my opinion Umberto Eco.
Mandatory 2 Isabel Allende’s books. I would read today 10 pages only.
My first half.