The House by the Medlar Tree

by Giovanni Verga

Book Overview

Giovanni Verga (1840-1922) is the most important of the Italian Realist School of novelists. This new edition of The House by the Medlar Tree (I Malavoglia) makes the complete English version of his masterpiece available once more. The story of the Malavoglia, a family of poor Sicilian fisherman, is Verga's moving rendering of the theme of mankind's struggle for self-betterment, the dignity of the struggle in the face of poverty and hardship,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520048504
• ISBN13: 9780520048508
• Release Date: March 1984
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 275 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

My family history in a novel

This novel was written in 1889 and set in 1863 in a Sicilian fishing village within walking distance of Verga's native Catania. My paternal great-grandparents spent their lives in a similar village on the northern coast of Sicily. Reading this novel brought back my Grandmother's voice telling stories of the fishermen with variations on the proverbs, superstitions, Catholicism and village gossip of Verga. In Verga's novel, ownership of the house is lost through payment of a debt to preserve the Malavoglia's family honor. In my family, the two fishing boats were sold to protect the family honor from a false accusation. In the Cambridge Companion to the Italian Novel, Verga is written about extensively in a chapter about realism. This book is a delightful validation of social history in post-unification Sicily. These peasants were hard-workers whose family and religion gave meaning to their lives.

Italian historical novel

If you wondered what life was like in Southern Italybefore our relatives all decided to leave, read this book.In a non-maudlin manner, the author describes life in this little town, social mores and attitudes from a long ago time.Well translated, easy to read. Very touching book. An interesting study in family dynamics and the life of a small community.

THE HEART OF SOUTH-ITALY

"I Malavoglia" is one of the most beautiful novels about the life in South-Italy in 19th century. I personally am grown up on the countryside in South-Italy and, even if I live a century later than the Malavoglia, I still can find in the place where I live some of the colours and sounds that I love in this book. Someone may find the style disturbing, because of the lack of participation by the writer, but it is something Verga purposedly tried to achieve ( it is the Realism ), and it should not prevent you from enjoying the story told in this book ( even if it is a sad story, like are all the stories, that try to be truthfull). If you really want to get nearer to the heart of such a beautiful country like Italy ( and especially South-Italy)is you really should read this book.