The Volcano

by Venero Armanno

A rich, lyrical novel forged out of the fiery heart of Sicily, The Volcano tells the tumultuous story of Emilio Aquila, a boy whose very thoughts make him an outcast from his own village.

Fleeing into the labyrinthine caves high on the slopes of Sicily's Mount Etna, and surrounded by the echoes of his island's mythical past, Emilio's withdrawal from the world leads him toward a life of introspection and self-examination. Yet these higher ideals are interrupted by the arrival of the villainous Rocco Fuentes and by Emilio's tormented passion for a girl beyond his reach.

Emilio's determination to live on his own terms turns him into what he most despises - a criminal and kidnapper - and compels him to seek a new start half a world away. But will he be able to escape the shadows of the past? And will Australia ever be more to him than a place of suffering and regret?

Sweeping from Sicily to Australia, spanning generations and very different worlds, The Volcano is a novel of power, passion and sheer blazing brilliance from one of Australia's most original and talented writers.
--from the book jacket

Genres: Fiction, Australia, Italy

680 pages, Hardback

First published September 1, 2012

About the author

Venero Armanno, the son of Sicilian migrants, was born in Brisbane. He has travelled and worked throughout the world. In 1995, 1997 and 1999 he lived and wrote in the Cité International des Arts, Paris. He is the author of Jumping at the Moon, a book of short stories (equal runner-up in the prestigious Steele Rudd Award) and eight novels, including The Volcano, which won the Queensland Premier's Literary Award for Best Fiction Novel (2002) and was short-listed for the Courier Mail Best Book of the Year. His work has been published internationally and he is currently a senior lecturer at the University of Queensland.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Far too long...Where was his editor, eh?

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was probably a 3.5 book for me. It would have been a 4 (as the story was interesting) but it was very long and seemed to be a bit overly descriptive in places for my taste.

The book starts with an old man, Emilio Aquila who is working as a gardener for a New Farm house. He is being let go by his employer. They would like someone younger as there has been some crime in the area. Later that night he goes to the assistance of two elderly spinsters who are being robbed. He is attacked and ends up in hospital.

Enter Mary Aquila, student writer who is having trouble dealing with the fact her ex-boyfriend appears to have killed himself. She reads about Emilio in the news paper and approaches her Grandmother to find out if they are related (same last name and all). She knows her grandmother is lying and goes to visit Emilio in the hospital. He confirms that he is known to the grandmother but for reasons we find out later in the book, Emilio is known as "the Devil of Sicily" and has a bad reputation.

Emilio becomes Mary's muse and we go back to Emilio's past in Sicily where he was destined to be the overseer of a property. He rejects this and goes and lives in the Mt Etna volcano until he is found by a Rocco Fuentes. Later he runs into a spirited woman by the name of Desideria and his fate is sealed.

The book touches on the plight of immigrates in Brisbane in the 50s and how they were exploited and harassed. For those who don't know, during the 40s and through to the 80s, Brisbane was pretty much a corrupt place. Bribery was rife and the police force was deeply involved with prostitution, drugs and organised crime. This book does touch on this as well as the mood of the city at the time.

I did enjoy the book and would recommend it but it is quite a commitment and it is a book you need to be patient with.

[Phoenix1000 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, read it along time ago, so from memory it felt like the end was rushed or a lot more detail for the most of the book then a rushed finish

[Ann Tonks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favourite books for this year. Rich in detail, brave in scope, bold in characterisation and story telling, this is a long, dense, fascinating novel that is well worth the effort. It starts and ends in Sicily and has a dense story of immigration to Australia in the middle.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea what this book was about for about the first 200 pages but suddenly it clicked and I couldn't put it down. I felt a bit cheated by the ending but loved it all the same.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I must have because it took me nearly a year to finish it, and I didn't give up. I found the writing pretty dense for the most part, which in some cases was good, but at other times it really dragged. It finally picked up momentum in the last third of the book.