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The House on Via Gemito

Longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2024
By Domenico Starnone
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3.67 goodreads logo

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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
In The House on Via Gemito by Domenico Starnone, a family's complex relationships unfold against the backdrop of post-war Naples. The narrative delves into the ambitions and frustrations of a father who dreams of escaping his mundane reality through art, and the son who navigates the memories and myths surrounding his family home. This evocative tale captures the nuances of familial ties and the sometimes harsh truths that lie beneath cherished narratives.
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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?

This book may appeal to you if you're intrigued by intricate family dynamics and the interplay of memory and narrative. It offers a deep dive into the complexities of familial relationships, art, and identity, set against the backdrop of mid-century Italy. If you enjoy character-driven stories with rich emotional depth, this novel will likely resonate with you.

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The extraordinary novel that confirmed Domenico Starnone as one of the greatest writers in modern Italian literature

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 modest apartment in Via Gemito smells of paint and white spirit. The living room furniture is pushed up against the wall to create a make-shift studio, and drying canvases must be moved off the beds each night.

Federi, the father, a railway clerk, is convinced of possessing great artistic talent. If he didn't have a family to feed, he'd be a world-famous painter. Ambitious and frustrated, genuinely talented but full of arrogance and resentment, his life is marked by bitter disappointment. His long-suffering wife and their four sons bear the brunt.

It's his first-born who, years later, will sift the lies from the truth to tell the story of a man he spent his whole life trying not to resemble.

Narrated against the background of a Naples still marked by WWII and steeped in the city's language and imagery, The House on Via Gemito—first published 20 years ago—is a masterpiece of contemporary Italian literature.

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 Via Gemito by Domenico Starnone is praised as a significant literary work, elegantly constructed and beautifully written, offering a vivid portrayal of Neapolitan life. It is hailed as a masterpiece, skillfully weaving a life story with expertise.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781787704534

Publisher: Europa Editions (UK) Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 15 June 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Europa Editions (UK) Ltd

Contributors:

  • Translated by Oonagh Stransky
  • Translated by Oonagh Stransky

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 135.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 480

Collections

Domenico Starnone Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction

About the Author

Domenico Starnone was born in Naples and lives in Rome. He is the author of thirteen works of fiction, including First Execution(Europa, 2009), Ties (Europa, 2017) a Sunday Times Best Book of the Year, Trick (Europa, 2018), a Finalist for the 2018 National Book Award and the 2019 PEN Translation Prize, Trust (Europa, 2021), and The House on Via Gemito (Europa, 2023), winner of Italy’s most prestigious literary prize, the Strega. It was longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2024. Oonagh Stransky has been a translator of Italian literature for over 20 years. Some of the writers whose work she has brought into English include Pier Paolo Pasolini, Carlo Lucarelli, Giuseppe Pontiggia, and Roberto Saviano. Stransky started studying Italian at Middlebury Language Schools in 1986, got her BA in Comparative Literature from Mills College and UC Berkeley in 1989, and her MA in Italian from Columbia University in 2002. She currently lives in Italy.

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