Name: Happiness, as Such
Price: 331.00 ZAR
Availability: InStock
Author: Natalia Ginzburg
ISBN: 9780811227995

Type

Physical Book

Author

Natalia Ginzburg

Translated by

Minna Proctor

Publisher

New Directions Publishing Corporation

Year

2019

Language

English

Pages

176

Format

Paperback

Dimensions

20.3 x 13.3 x 1.3 cm

Weight

0.18 kg.

ISBN13

9780811227995

Synopsis "Happiness, as Such "

At the heart of Happiness, as Such is an absence--an abyss that pulls everyone to its brink--created by a family's only son, Michele, who has fled from Italy to England to escape the dangers and threats of his radical political ties. This novel is part epistolary: his mother writes letters to him, nagging him; his sister Angelica writes, missing him; so does Mara, his former lover, telling him about the birth of her son who may be his own. Left to clean up Michele's mess, his family and friends complain, commiserate, tease, and grieve, struggling valiantly with the small and large calamities of their interconnected lives.Natalia Ginzburg's most beloved book in Italy and one of her finest achievements, Happiness, as Such is an original, wise, raw, comic novel that cuts to the bone.

Natalia Ginzburg

(Author)

View Author's Page

Natalia Ginzburg (1916–1991) was a prominent Italian writer whose work spans novels, essays, plays, and translation. Born in Palermo and raised in Turin, she intensely experienced the effects of fascism and World War II, experiences that deeply marked her literature. Her style is characterized by a sober and precise prose, focused on everyday life and family relationships. Among her most recognized works are Family Lexicon (1963), which won the prestigious Strega Prize, The Little Virtues (1962), Dear Michael (1973), The City and the House (1984), and All Our Yesterdays (1952). She also ventured into theater with pieces like I Married for Joy (1966)

Ginzburg was a politically committed figure; she participated in the anti-fascist resistance and, later, was a deputy for the Italian Communist Party. Her work has influenced subsequent generations for its intimate and honest look at the domestic as a reflection of the universal. In addition to her work as a writer, she worked at the Einaudi publishing house, where she collaborated with figures like Cesare Pavese. Her legacy remains alive, especially for her ability to transform the everyday into literature of high ethical and aesthetic value.

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