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The House on the Hill

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( 8,247 ratings, 372 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 House on the Hill by Cesare Pavese delves into the life of an Italian man grappling with the tumult of World War II. Set against the backdrop of rural and urban Italy, the story explores themes of existential reflection, morality, and the haunting impact of war on human connections. As the protagonist seeks refuge and meaning, he encounters various characters who illuminate his internal and external struggles.
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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 post-war existential themes and a profound exploration of human isolation and internal conflict. Set against the backdrop of World War II in Italy, this narrative delves into personal introspection and the search for meaning in troubled times. Cesare Pavese's evocative writing and deep characterisation will appeal to those who enjoy literary fiction with a psychological depth.

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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

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, is staying in relative safety in the hills above the city. He has no attachments and claims to be happy that way. However, against his better judgement, he is drawn into a circle of anti-fascists who congregate at a nearby tavern.

As the authorities' net closes around his friends, Corrado must face a painful choice: emotional and political commitment, with all its dangers, or devastating retreat.

Series: Penguin Modern Classics

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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 House on the Hill by Cesare Pavese is highly regarded by critics for its depth and narrative quality. Susan Sontag considers Pavese one of the essential novelists of the mid-twentieth century. Italo Calvino praises the novels for their extraordinary depth and layered meanings. W. S. DiPiero highlights Pavese's importance among postwar Italian writers, while The New York Times Book Review describes the work as insinuating, haunting, and lyrically pervasive.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241370520

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 April 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Translated by Tim Parks
  • Translated by Tim Parks

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 11.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 135g

Pages: 176

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. Tim Parks (Translator) Tim Parks moved to Italy in 1981 and lives in Milan. Well known for his non-fiction writings on Italy - Italian Neighbours, An Italian Education - and his novels - Europa (shortlisted for the Booker Prize), Destiny, In Extremis - he has translated a number of Italian writers, in particular Macchiavelli, Leopardi, Moravia, Calvino, Tabucchi and Calasso. He has twice been awarded the John Florio Prize for Translation from the Italian.

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