A major inspiration for Elena Ferrante.--The New York Times
A riveting classic of European literature, this superb collection of
fiction and reportage is set in Italy's most vibrant and turbulent
metropolis--Naples--in the immediate aftermath of World War Two. These
writings helped inspire Elena Ferrante's best-selling novels and she has
expressed deep admiration for the author of this volume, originally
edited in Italian by Italo Calvino. Goyaesque in its depiction of the
widespread suffering and brutal desperation that plagued the city, it
comprises a mix of masterful storytelling and piercing journalism. This
book, with its unforgettable portrait of Naples high and low, is also a
stunning literary companion to the great neorealist films of the era by
directors such as Vittorio de Sica and Roberto Rossellini. Neapolitan
Chronicles is exquisitely rendered in English by Ann Goldstein and
Jenny McPhee, two of the leading translators working from Italian today.
Included in the collection is A Pair of Eyeglasses, one of the most
widely praised Italian short stories of the last century.
Anna Maria Ortese (1914-1998) is one of the most celebrated and
original Italian writers of the last century. Neapolitan Chronicles
brought her widespread acclaim in her native country when it was first
published in 1953 and won the prestigious Premio Viareggio.
