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The Beautiful Summer

By Cesare Pavese
Series: Penguin European Writers
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3.47 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 11,125 ratings, 1,014 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Beautiful Summer by Cesare Pavese is a coming-of-age tale set against the vibrant backdrop of Italy during the 1930s. The story follows Gina, a young girl swept up in the excitement of newfound freedom, friendship, and romance as she navigates the complexities of adulthood. As she experiences love and loss for the first time, Gina's journey captures the essence of youthful awakening.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate coming-of-age stories set against the evocative backdrop of 1930s Italy. The narrative beautifully explores themes of youthful desire, self-discovery, and the complexities of relationships, offering a poignant glimpse into a transformative summer.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In 1930s Italy, a young girl falls in love for the first time, with devastating consequences; introduction by Elizabeth Strout.

Life was a perpetual holiday in those days...

It's the height of summer in 1930s Italy, and sixteen-year-old Ginia is desperate for adventure. So begins a fateful friendship with Amelia, a stylish and sophisticated artist's model who envelops her in a dazzling new world of bohemian artists and intoxicating freedom. Under the spell of her new friends, Ginia soon falls in love with Guido, an enigmatic young painter. It's the start of a desperate love affair, charged with false hope and overwhelming passion—destined to last no longer than the course of a summer.

The Beautiful Summer is a gorgeous coming-of-age tale of lost innocence and first love, by one of Italy's greatest writers.

Series: Penguin European Writers

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  • The Beautiful Summer
    In 1930s Italy, a young girl falls in love for the first time, with devastating consequences; introduction by Elizabeth Strout. Life was a perpetual holiday in those days... It's the height of summer in 1930s Italy, and sixteen-year-old Ginia is desperate for adventure. So begins a fateful friendship with Amelia, a stylish and sophisticated artist's model who envelops her in...
    By Cesare Pavese
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Beautiful Summer by Cesare Pavese receives acclaim for its vivid portrayal of love's complexities set in 1930s Italy. Critics highlight Pavese's remarkable talent and the book's introspective depth, drawing comparisons with works by Elena Ferrante and André Aciman. The novel is praised for its haunting and lyrical qualities, with many reviewers considering it an essential and inspirational read.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241983393

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 June 2018

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Elizabeth Strout

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 6.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 85g

Pages: 112

Collections

Cesare Pavese Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Fiction Fiction in Translation General Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Series: Penguin European Writers

About the Author

Cesare Pavese (Author) Cesare Pavese was born in 1908 in Santo Stefano Belbo, a village in the hills of Piedmont. He worked as a translator (of Melville, Joyce and Faulkner) and as an editor for the publishing house Einaudi Editore, while also publishing his own poetry and a string of successful novels, including The House on the Hill and The Moon and the Bonfires. Never actively anti-Fascist himself, he was nevertheless sent into internal exile in Calabria in 1935 for having aided other subversives. He killed himself in 1950, shortly after receiving Italy's most prestigious literary prize, the Strega. Elizabeth Strout (Introducer) Elizabeth Strout is the Pulitzer prize-winning author of My Name is Lucy Barton, Anything is Possible, Oh William!, Amy and Isabelle, Abide With Me, The Burgess Boys, Olive Kitteridge, and Olive, Again. She has been nominated for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the International Dublin Literary Award, the Orange Prize and the Booker Prize. She lives in Maine.

Also by Cesare Pavese

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  • The Moon and the Bonfires
    Pavese's seductive masterpiece of memory and betrayal set in the Italian countryside, The Moon and the Bonfires comes to life in a vivid new translation by Tim Parks. Having made his fortune in America, Eel is magnetically drawn back to the Piedmontese countryside where he grew up poor and illegitimate. Spending the summer wandering its valleys and vineyards with his...
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  • The House on the Hill
    The House on the Hill is a devastating novel set in wartime Italy, written by the great twentieth-century author Cesare Pavese, now available in a new translation by Tim Parks. Shortlisted for The Society of Authors Translation Award 2022. In June 1943, Allied aircraft are bombing industrial Turin, and Fascist Italy seems to be on its knees. Corrado, a teacher,...
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