Head Above Water

by Stefano Bortolussi and Anne Milano Appel

Italian writer Cardo Maraini is a cauldron of contradictions. Plagued by guilt over the drowning of his younger brother, he is strangely terrified by life. When the Norwegian woman he loves becomes pregnant, he plunges into a comically disastrous liaison, fleeing from commitment and responsibility. He tries to escape through writing about his youth, reliving erotic encounters and the political activism of Italy in the 1960s. When he is finally...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 087286426X
• ISBN13: 9780872864269
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: City Lights Books
• Length: 184 Pages
• Weight: 0.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 7.4"

Customer Reviews

Staying Afloat

If you are as fascinated as I am by the complexities of the human psyche, you will enjoy this poignant and humorous study of the interior life of a man in turmoil. If you are enticed by the idea of going along for a somewhat wild ride with an Italian male of a certain age who is forced to adjust to evolving perceptions of what is important in life, you will probably love this book as much as I did. The novel explores the heart and mind of a middle-aged Italian writer as he attempts to cope with the news that he is about to become a father, largely by focusing on, and trying to revive, his youthful past. Once you've started the book, you will quickly understand why Anne Milano Appel recently won the prestigious Northern California Book Award for her English translation of poet and playwright Bortolussi's first novel. Milano Appel masterfully grasps and skillfully presents all of the subtleties and contradictions of the protagonist's internal struggle as he battles the twin fears of responsibility and loss.

Bortolussi does more than keep his head above water...

This is a wonderfully deft treatment of a delicate topic. A man coming into middle age subtly being manipulated by anxieties he doesn't understand, struggles to keep his head above water. His fear is not the extrinsic variety we so often feel in modern life, but a pervasive almost indescribable angst anchored in a tragic moment in his past but shadowing him in his present life. Cardo, the main character, must find a way to come to terms with his fear in order to keep his marriage afloat. Blessed with a wise spouse, in Sol, he is given the space and time he needs. But he charts a most amusing course through this maze of confused emotions. High recommended. This is an impressive debut in English (translated from his Italian novel) for this well-know Italian Poet, commentator and translator. Bravo Bortolussi!

Fantastic writing! What a treat.

I had been pining for a new book. What a great read. Obviously written by a fine writer, (as opposed to someone with a story first, writing second). Fun, great writing, vocabulary, use of metaphor, twisting timeline, historical references, interesting, varied settings, snappy dialogue, internal conflict, a-typical characters but a univeral theme, must have really kicked ass in Italian. I really enjoyed it. The part about the younger brother was a bit rough, and I could see it coming based on the Greek Mythology reference. Stretched out the pain that you knew was just around the corner.