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La grande fame
Tutto il mondo di Fante, dagli inverni dell'infanzia in Colorado alla conquista di Los Angeles, presente in queste prose perfette, e non di rado esilaranti, che non hanno nulla da invidiare ai romanzi maggiori. Come Hemingway e come il suo grande amico Saroyan, Fante fu un maestro della short story, scrigno ideale della sua ironia e della sua umanità. Questo volume inoltre contiene una vera e propria gemma narrativa: il ciclo di racconti intitolato "I piccoli fratelli", che è quanto rimane di un progetto di romanzo a lungo accarezzato da Fante. Protagonisti di questi racconti, una volta tanto, non sono più gli italo-americani del Colorado e della California, ma i lavoratori stagionali filippini, che si guadagnano duramente il loro pane nei campi o nelle fabbriche dei sobborghi industriali di Los Angeles, aspirando a una vita migliore... ma soprattutto al Grande Amore, che prima o poi (o almeno si spera) arriva per tutti.
346 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
39 people are currently reading
1001 people want to read
About the author
John Fante
51 books2,274 followersFante's early years were spent in relative poverty. The son of an Italian born father, Nicola Fante, and an Italian-American mother, Mary Capolungo, Fante was educated in various Catholic schools in Boulder and Denver, Colorado, and briefly attended the University of Colorado.
In 1929, he dropped out of college and moved to Southern California to concentrate on his writing. He lived and worked in Wilmington, Long Beach, and in the Bunker Hill district of downtown Los Angeles, California.
He is known to be one of the first writers to portray the tough times faced by many writers in L.A. His work and style has influenced such similar authors as "Poet Laureate of Skid Row" Charles Bukowski and influential beat generation writer Jack Kerouac. He was proclaimed by Time Out magazine as one of America's "criminally neglected writers."
In 1929, he dropped out of college and moved to Southern California to concentrate on his writing. He lived and worked in Wilmington, Long Beach, and in the Bunker Hill district of downtown Los Angeles, California.
He is known to be one of the first writers to portray the tough times faced by many writers in L.A. His work and style has influenced such similar authors as "Poet Laureate of Skid Row" Charles Bukowski and influential beat generation writer Jack Kerouac. He was proclaimed by Time Out magazine as one of America's "criminally neglected writers."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
October 1, 2021
Pochi autori, A mio modesto parere, vantano la capacità di Fante nel saper trarre racconti stupendi da episodi assolutamente comuni, nel saper dare vita e trasmettere al lettore le complesse sensazioni i sapori gli odori la materialità ma anche il sentimento di un mondo familiare che, con i suoi alti e bassi, non ha mai smesso di vantare un posto speciale e di rilievo nel suo cuore.
September 28, 2016
This short story collection is one of my last Fante's and it goes straight to the top of my charts. John Fante also has my vote for Best Unknown American Author. I can put these up against Raymond Carver, Breece Pancake, Rick Bass and Fante still comes out on top. Once championed by Charles Bukowski, when asked why he favored his work, Bukowski described it as "he writes pure emotion". Shadows of the writers psyche perhaps show in Fante's work, if so he would be best described as a narcissist with low self esteem or an arrogant insecure achiever. It makes for interesting reading.
May 1, 2023
Esta recopilación recoge dieciocho relatos inéditos del escritor John Fante. El que ya conozca al autor por sus novelas, se volverá a encontrar con su prosa única, capaz de expresar tanto con tan pocas palabras. En sus páginas nos reencontramos con Arturo Bandini, alter ego de Fante, que siempre me ha recordado a Holden Caulfield, de ‘El guardián entre el centeno’, con esos aires literarios, un tanto presuntuoso, pero al que no puedes evitar cogerle cariño. Son relatos que hablan del problema de la inmigración, con filipinos, japoneses, mexicanos e italoamericanos; de la clase trabajadora, de madres preocupadas, de niños soñadores, de patriarcas bonachones, siempre con ese humor tan característico, que deja huella. Quizá no sean obras maestras, pero siempre es un placer leer a John Fante.
February 14, 2010
I am truly in love with a dead man. This book of shorts by John Fante has not only inspired me to write more but makes me thirst for more of his stories. I'm going straight to the book shop. I'm hanging a picture of him on my wall and gonna use the ole typewriter again. Magnificent!
June 23, 2022
Fante sempre és casa 🏡
September 13, 2025
La straordinaria capacità che ha Johnnie di inserire tutta la sua vita in ogni cosa che ha scritto mi lascia sempre sbalordita. Ma ancora di più, a lasciarmi sbalordita è la sua abilità innata a passare da un registro narrativo all'altro in uno schiocco di dita e con una naturalezza disarmante. Un attimo si ride, quello dopo ci si commuove. E poi ogni tanto tira fuori dal cilindro certe frasi e certe immagini che mi rimescolano il sangue.
October 7, 2025
Dopo la morte di Fante, sua moglie chiama l'editor Steven Cooper e gli dice vieni a frugare nello schedario di John. Ne viene fuori La grande Fame, raccolta postuma contenente 18 scritti.
Il libro inizia coi primi racconti scritti da un Fante ancora acerbo e prosegue con un paio di brutte copie di quelli che poi diverranno capitoli di Aspetta Primavera e Una strada per Los Angeles. La cosa più interessante di questi stralci è la possibilità di vedere i tentativi di creare la voce di Arturo Bandini, ancora grezza ma già riconoscibile.
Nella seconda parte ci sono i racconti migliori, tutti scritti post trilogia Bandiniana. A parte un paio di eccezioni, gli scritti mi lasciano con l'idea che non ci sia mai né un finale aperto né una chiusura secca, ma la sensazione che ogni racconto voglia essere un capitolo di un libro mai scritto. Chiusure a parte, la prosa è più matura, centrata e divertente. Più fantiana.
Non l'ho trovato un libro incredibile ma considerando che è composto perlopiù da scarti poteva andare decisamente peggio!
PS io ho la vecchia edizione Marcos ti Marcos. Confrontandomi con un amico che ha l'Einaudi, scopro che l'editor einaudiano ha cambiato l'ordine dei racconti e ne ha aggiunti di nuovi e più recenti, oltre ad aver giustamente tolto il prologo di Chiedi alla polvere che -ORRORE- in quindici pagine spoilera tutto il romanzo.
Il libro inizia coi primi racconti scritti da un Fante ancora acerbo e prosegue con un paio di brutte copie di quelli che poi diverranno capitoli di Aspetta Primavera e Una strada per Los Angeles. La cosa più interessante di questi stralci è la possibilità di vedere i tentativi di creare la voce di Arturo Bandini, ancora grezza ma già riconoscibile.
Nella seconda parte ci sono i racconti migliori, tutti scritti post trilogia Bandiniana. A parte un paio di eccezioni, gli scritti mi lasciano con l'idea che non ci sia mai né un finale aperto né una chiusura secca, ma la sensazione che ogni racconto voglia essere un capitolo di un libro mai scritto. Chiusure a parte, la prosa è più matura, centrata e divertente. Più fantiana.
Non l'ho trovato un libro incredibile ma considerando che è composto perlopiù da scarti poteva andare decisamente peggio!
PS io ho la vecchia edizione Marcos ti Marcos. Confrontandomi con un amico che ha l'Einaudi, scopro che l'editor einaudiano ha cambiato l'ordine dei racconti e ne ha aggiunti di nuovi e più recenti, oltre ad aver giustamente tolto il prologo di Chiedi alla polvere che -ORRORE- in quindici pagine spoilera tutto il romanzo.
February 24, 2019
Nel ’94 Cooper, biografo ufficiale di Fante, pubblica alcuni racconti dello scrittore, quasi tutti inediti, scritti in un arco di tempo che va dai ’30 al ’59. Gli scritti, pur risentendo del fatto che la loro stesura non era definitiva, sono comunque molto più che abbozzi, rispecchiano in pieno il mondo dello scrittore quanto le sue opere maggiori: la famiglia italiana con le sue gerarchie, i lavori nel porto, gli approcci difficili con le donne, quelle americane poi, così alte e bionde, irraggiungibili da un immigrato per di più basso e scuro. Il tutto raccontato con umorismo e tenerezza. Ma non ci sono solo immigrati italiani nelle storie, compaiono pure lavoratori filippini, altri emarginati ancora più in basso nella scala sociale. Tra i racconti è compreso il “Prologo a Chiedi alla polvere”, una struggente anticipazione degli avvenimenti del romanzo pensato appunto come una prefazione, ma poi omesso, fortunatamente: avrebbe tolto suspense ed emozione all’intreccio. I racconti sono bellissimi, divertenti o patetici ma sempre alleggeriti da una notevole dose di autoironia, Fante sembra non prendersi mai troppo sul serio, nel bene e nel male. La scrittura è nitida come una fotografia, semplice e fluida come un parlato perfetto, confidenziale come un dialogo al bar davanti ad una birra con un vecchio amico.
January 29, 2012
As it has been said, this is not Fante's best work. However, even though this is true, there are stories, sentences, and simple descriptions in this collection which leave me breathless. Fante has become on of my favorite writers over the past year and a half and I can't seem to get enough of him. I know I'm devouring his words quickly, and I will be saddened to see the platter finished when I read his last words.
For those of you unfamiliar with Fante, do not start with this. Begin with The Road to Los Angeles or, if you don't worry about chronology, Ask the Dust, his most famous work.
The Big Hunger is a book for those established Fante fans wanting to devour every bit he had to offer. We see immature sketches scattered among incredible, well-polished short stories. "Mary Osaka, I Love You" stood out in my mind as a heart-wrenchingly beautiful tale.
For those of you unfamiliar with Fante, do not start with this. Begin with The Road to Los Angeles or, if you don't worry about chronology, Ask the Dust, his most famous work.
The Big Hunger is a book for those established Fante fans wanting to devour every bit he had to offer. We see immature sketches scattered among incredible, well-polished short stories. "Mary Osaka, I Love You" stood out in my mind as a heart-wrenchingly beautiful tale.
Read
December 2, 2025“Entonces me entró el pánico, perdí el control y cogí por el brazo a aquel caballero que llevaba un paraguas y un chaleco de cuadros y que podría haber sido el embajador francés, y le dije: por el amor de Dios, pregúntele qué le pasa, y él pareció sorprendido, se volvió y habló con ella en voz baja, melodiosa e íntima, con amabilidad, como si fuera su hijo, y ella le respondió en un tono bajo e íntimo, con amabilidad, como si fuera su madre.
El hombre se volvió hacia mí y dijo:
-No desea nada, salvo estar a solas con su dolor. —Me saludó con una inclinación de cabeza, como si fuera el embajador francés, y se alejó.
Suspiré bajo el calor del crepúsculo y volví al hotel, […] y pedí una bebida, y hubo un momento en que se me hizo un nudo en la garganta al pensar en la dignidad humana, y de repente París era una gran ciudad.”
El hombre se volvió hacia mí y dijo:
-No desea nada, salvo estar a solas con su dolor. —Me saludó con una inclinación de cabeza, como si fuera el embajador francés, y se alejó.
Suspiré bajo el calor del crepúsculo y volví al hotel, […] y pedí una bebida, y hubo un momento en que se me hizo un nudo en la garganta al pensar en la dignidad humana, y de repente París era una gran ciudad.”
May 19, 2021
Toza Sor ile bildiğimiz yazarın benzer duygularda hissettirdiği 15 öykünün bulunduğu bir kitap. John Fante ne yazdıysa okurum, bu benim için tartışılmaz bir gerçek. Yoksulluğu bile özendirdiği, izbe otel odalarını bile cazibe merkezi haline getirebilen bir yazar. Karakterlerin aşk ve sevgiye açlıkları, bulundukları konum itibari ile hayata karşı duruşları ve varoluşsal yapıları nedeniyle hikayeler beni içine çekebiliyor. Bu kitaptaki öykülerde de yine toksik aşklar, aile ve mağduriyetler, erkeğin erk mücadelesini anlatıyor.
July 6, 2012
Fante was (and is) probably my favorite American fiction writer. His voice is excellent and unique. His insight had depth and subtlety. He wrote with passion and a very real, very gritty force (an ummph). The eponymous story of this collection is one of my Fante favorites. Glad these got collected, and I'm glad there was such a man as John Fante.
December 23, 2020
As I imagine is the case for most works that go purposely unpublished during a writer's life only to be released posthumously, this collection is best reserved for Fante completists and can probably be ignored by the rest of the masses.
Most of the stories have a distinctly immature feel -- not with regards to Fante the man but rather to the time/effort put into the pieces. And that's understandable; it's what you would expect from stories he knew would never be published, some of which were springboards for other stories or novels. It just doesn't make for the best collection.
There are at least a few items that made me -- as someone who counts Ask the Dust as one of my top-5 novels of all time -- glad I spent the time reading it. The "Prologue to Ask the Dust" is simultaneously gorgeous in style and terrifying for what it would have done to the book if included -- thank goodness for the man who convinced Fante to leave it out. It basically summarizes the entire book from Fante's perspective and would have utterly destroyed the tone if inserted into the classic.
The best stories are "Jakie's Mother," with a wonderful ending, "A Bad Woman," "I am a Writer of Truth," and "The First Time I saw Paris." But the very best is probably "The Sins of the Mother," which somewhat recalls the story of how Fante's father seduced his mother.
As I said, read it if you love Fante, but a better story collection of his is The Wine of Youth or Dago Red (which are close to the same book). I liked this because I like Fante, but if you read one of those collections you might find that these stories are just more of the same and a little bit boring.
As I felt with The Road to Los Angeles, I don't necessarily feel the world would be a worse place if this had remained unpublished. At some point it's disrespectful to the author, right? To publish his deliberately unpublished works? Or maybe it's just the author's responsibility to make sure they destroy whatever they don't want to eventually see the light of day. . .
Not Bad Reviews
@pointblaek
Most of the stories have a distinctly immature feel -- not with regards to Fante the man but rather to the time/effort put into the pieces. And that's understandable; it's what you would expect from stories he knew would never be published, some of which were springboards for other stories or novels. It just doesn't make for the best collection.
There are at least a few items that made me -- as someone who counts Ask the Dust as one of my top-5 novels of all time -- glad I spent the time reading it. The "Prologue to Ask the Dust" is simultaneously gorgeous in style and terrifying for what it would have done to the book if included -- thank goodness for the man who convinced Fante to leave it out. It basically summarizes the entire book from Fante's perspective and would have utterly destroyed the tone if inserted into the classic.
The best stories are "Jakie's Mother," with a wonderful ending, "A Bad Woman," "I am a Writer of Truth," and "The First Time I saw Paris." But the very best is probably "The Sins of the Mother," which somewhat recalls the story of how Fante's father seduced his mother.
As I said, read it if you love Fante, but a better story collection of his is The Wine of Youth or Dago Red (which are close to the same book). I liked this because I like Fante, but if you read one of those collections you might find that these stories are just more of the same and a little bit boring.
As I felt with The Road to Los Angeles, I don't necessarily feel the world would be a worse place if this had remained unpublished. At some point it's disrespectful to the author, right? To publish his deliberately unpublished works? Or maybe it's just the author's responsibility to make sure they destroy whatever they don't want to eventually see the light of day. . .
Not Bad Reviews
@pointblaek
December 11, 2015
yoldaki toza sorun! toza sora onsoz bolumu kitabin vurucu noktasi. fante yazmayi planladigi fikri burada alakasiz sekilde anlatmis. alakasiz diyorum cunku oyku kitabi olan bu kitapta bu bolumu araya kaynatmis resmen. en sevdigim yazarlar da dahil baska herhangi bir yazar bunu yapsaydi reklamini yaptigini dusunup olumsuz fikre kapilirdim. ama oyle degil. bu kadar icten bir yazi okudugum cok azdir. urperdim resmen okurken bu bolumu. kitabin taslagindaki dusuncelerini ve sureci bilmek cok degisik bi duyguymus gercekten. bandini normalde de net bi adamdir. anlatirken dusuncelerini anlar ve ozumsersiniz. ama bu kucuk yazida bandiniyle beraber yasadim ben olanlari. camilia gormeliydi! o gormezse basari sayilmazdi! bunlar basit dusunceler gibi. hepimizin aklindan gecen seyler gibi. yabanci olmadigimiz seyler. ama hatirlayin ki butun insanlar dusunur. en aptalindan en zekisine kadar herkes dusunur. dusundugunu yaziya aktarmak ve bu denli net bi sekilde aktarmak zor kisim. yani yeni bi amerika bulmasina gerek yok bi yazarin iyi yazmak icin. fante mevcut olan duygularimizi etten kemiktenmis gibi karsimiza dikmis. ne kadar basit ve olagan bir konusu oldugunu su cumleleri ile aciklayayim: "kiz gitti. ona asiktim. ve benden nefret ediyor. benim hikayem bu kadar." boyle ozetlenen bir hikaye normalde asla dikkatimi cekmez. fanteye saygi duydugumuz nokta tam olarak burasi oluyor. basit net ama inanilmaz etkileyici.
sonuc olarak 12 yasinda bi oglan cocugu gibi asik olsan da fante, buyuk yazarsin.
toza sora onsoz bolumunden, diger oykulerle ilgili yorum yapamayacak kadar etkilendigim icin burada bitiriyorum. okumanizi oneririm.
sonuc olarak 12 yasinda bi oglan cocugu gibi asik olsan da fante, buyuk yazarsin.
toza sora onsoz bolumunden, diger oykulerle ilgili yorum yapamayacak kadar etkilendigim icin burada bitiriyorum. okumanizi oneririm.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2011
I am not going to fill out the good reads with all the past books I read, but as I enroll i notice West of Rome on my shelf. I have recently purged boxes of books almost at random, and I am a little surprised as to what have left. And there next to Curious George and the Bathroom Book is West of Rome. A few years past I went through a Fante faze and only wish that I hadn't, only because I would love to read every one again fresh and new and unprepared. I haphazardly discovered Fante in a book store by the book design, printing stock and book publisher that reminded me of Bukowski. I vaguely remembered Bukowski citing Fante and Hamsun as influences, so I picked it up. The rest is history. Amazing stories of the Italian Immigrant experience, the artistic struggle, old time California, out load belly laughs like few books can give and lots of desire. West of Rome is not the best of the lot. Two lesser novellas but that they are all great. I know Ask the Dust gets the praise, but it's these type of novellas and short stories give me high volume dose of Fante, perhaps at his best.
February 5, 2017
Here's a collection of previously unpublished stories rescued from Fante's drawer. They go all the way back to 1932, when Fante was a young writer ready to kick the world in the balls. All the stories are grounded in his struggle to become a writer while dealing with family, poverty, and trying to get laid.
Honestly, I can't understand why Fante didn't publish these stories while alive. They're all very enjoyable and a few are outstanding. This collection works great for anyone, whether you're new to Fante or have read everything else so far. I hope more people try Fante, along with Charles Bukowski, Fante is one of America's most under read writers.
Honestly, I can't understand why Fante didn't publish these stories while alive. They're all very enjoyable and a few are outstanding. This collection works great for anyone, whether you're new to Fante or have read everything else so far. I hope more people try Fante, along with Charles Bukowski, Fante is one of America's most under read writers.
February 1, 2017
Yeraltı ədəbiyyatının sevdiyim cəhəti reallıqları dramatik şəkildə göstərdiyi zaman, istifadə olunan səmimiyyətin insanı güldürməsidir. Artıq təsəvvür edərkən bir teatral tamaşa yox sanki təsvir olunan ailənin evində onlarla birgə yaşayırsan. Hekayələrin arasında bəziləri var idi, janr olaraq "yeraltı ədəbiyyatına aiddir mi?" deyə məndə sual yaratdı. Bəzi hissələr klassik ədəbiyyata oxşayırdı.
November 11, 2007
this was put together by a fan of fante's and his wife. it is obvious that these are his "sketchs" and what he used to outline his other books. not stories that were complete or prepared for print. and yet... despite that i was just happy to have more words of his to read...
July 17, 2009
I've long been a fan of Fante, and as his novels often feel very episodic to me I felt his short stories ought to be just about perfect. Ironically, I found many of them to feel like orphaned excerpts from a larger work. Worth reading, but not as spiffo as i expected.
August 14, 2012
Some stories definitely better than others with "Mary Osaka, I Love You" and "The Sins of the Mother" for me being the best.
February 14, 2022
Great collection from Fante, whose I've read only Ask the Dust.
The guy could really write!
His way of telling a story connects with me.
The guy could really write!
His way of telling a story connects with me.
May 27, 2019
Vlak na de eeuwwisseling werd deze verhalenbundel uitgebracht. Stephen Cooper, biograaf, vond de verhalen en paar jaar eerder tussen ander schrijfwerk dat de weduwe van Fante had gevonden. Het was alsof hij een lang verborgen schat vond. Misschien is dat wel wat meerdere lezers vinden als ze, vaak bij toeval, op het werk van Fante stuiten. Nog steeds is Fante een vergeten grootheid wat mij betreft. Ook deze bundel is weer een bevestiging van zijn uitmuntend schrijverschap.
Toegegeven, niet elk verhaal is even sterk, zoals ook elk schot op doel niet tussen de palen belandt, maar Fante scoort vaker wel dan niet en op de momenten dat hij scoort, zijn het treffers, om maar in voetbalsferen te blijven, van Bergkampiaanse schoonheid. Wat de verhalen zo mooi maakt zijn de karakters, veelal underdogs, onschuldige stumpers, kinderen soms. Allemaal kijken ze op een naïeve, hoopvolle manier de onverbiddelijke wereld in waarin ze zich bevinden. Zo is er de jonge Jakie die zijn kleine broertje heeft verloren na een ongeluk. Hij wordt door z’n moeder geslagen, maar z’n moeder belooft beterschap na de dood van haar andere zoon. Een ander thema in het oeuvre van Fante is de katholieke kerk, die is, ook lijkt hij soms onzichtbaar, altijd alom vertegenwoordigd. Zo staat een jonge tiener naar een dansend meisje en haar partner te kijken.
“The girl and her partner circled the floor three times. Not for a breath did I flick my eyes from her waist. The waltz ended, she disappeared in a thong at the entrance, and I had not so much as glanced at her face. If I saw her again, wearing a coat, I would not recognize her. And, I thought, according to the religion of my baptism, I had committed a mortal sin, and I know I was ticketed for hell more than ever. I cursed all priests.”
Alles wat Fante zo goed maakt komt in scènes als deze samen. Pronkstukjes als deze toverde tijdens het lezen weer regelmatig een lach op mijn gezicht.
De proloog van Ask the Dust is subliem en spoort me aan dat geniale boek snel weer te herlezen. Een ander hoogtepunt in deze bundel is The Sins of the Mother. Donna Martino is de vrouw des huizes en ze is de baas thuis, zoveel is na deze eerste zinnen wel duidelijk: “Dinner was served. Donna Martino, big and menacing, sat down at the head of the table. The chair squealed a protest…. “Shaddup!” roared Donna Martino.” Er is onenigheid in de familie omdat een van Donna’s dochters wil trouwen met iemand die niet zo welgesteld is. Donna is het hier niet mee eens. In de loop van het verhaal wordt duidelijk dat moeder en dochter niet veel voor elkaar onder doen. De laatste zin van het verhaal, die ik hier niet ga prijsgeven, kon niet beter gekozen zijn. Weergaloos.
Als afsluiting wil ik nog een gedeelte uit het titelverhaal, The Big Hunger, citeren. Het is geschreven vanuit het standpunt van een jongetje en laat prachtig zien moeilijk het voor volwassenen is zich te verplaatsen in de gedachtes van een kind. Fante toont zijn kunde door compleet vanuit het kind te schrijven. In deze scène lijken we opeens in het Wilde Westen terecht te komen, maar bevinden we ons in het hoofd en in de tuin van Danny Crane die Johnny, zijn buurjongen, ziet aankomen.
“A slinking figure at the corner of the garage caught his attention. (…) He was armed to the teeth, a rubber knife in his jaws, a rifle in his hands, and two Gene Autry . 45s strapped to his hips. John Stribling was the sworn enemy of the law and order in the West. Day and night he roamed the plains, shooting down constables, knifing sheriffs, ambushing marshals. For two weeks, since the beginning of summer vacation, Stribling had left a trail of blood and murder in his wake…”
Er rest mij nog een boek. Dan heb ik alles van Fante gelezen en is de grote honger naar ieder verhaal, naar ieder hoofdstuk, naar iedere letter, vrees ik, in ieder geval voorlopig even gestild.
Toegegeven, niet elk verhaal is even sterk, zoals ook elk schot op doel niet tussen de palen belandt, maar Fante scoort vaker wel dan niet en op de momenten dat hij scoort, zijn het treffers, om maar in voetbalsferen te blijven, van Bergkampiaanse schoonheid. Wat de verhalen zo mooi maakt zijn de karakters, veelal underdogs, onschuldige stumpers, kinderen soms. Allemaal kijken ze op een naïeve, hoopvolle manier de onverbiddelijke wereld in waarin ze zich bevinden. Zo is er de jonge Jakie die zijn kleine broertje heeft verloren na een ongeluk. Hij wordt door z’n moeder geslagen, maar z’n moeder belooft beterschap na de dood van haar andere zoon. Een ander thema in het oeuvre van Fante is de katholieke kerk, die is, ook lijkt hij soms onzichtbaar, altijd alom vertegenwoordigd. Zo staat een jonge tiener naar een dansend meisje en haar partner te kijken.
“The girl and her partner circled the floor three times. Not for a breath did I flick my eyes from her waist. The waltz ended, she disappeared in a thong at the entrance, and I had not so much as glanced at her face. If I saw her again, wearing a coat, I would not recognize her. And, I thought, according to the religion of my baptism, I had committed a mortal sin, and I know I was ticketed for hell more than ever. I cursed all priests.”
Alles wat Fante zo goed maakt komt in scènes als deze samen. Pronkstukjes als deze toverde tijdens het lezen weer regelmatig een lach op mijn gezicht.
De proloog van Ask the Dust is subliem en spoort me aan dat geniale boek snel weer te herlezen. Een ander hoogtepunt in deze bundel is The Sins of the Mother. Donna Martino is de vrouw des huizes en ze is de baas thuis, zoveel is na deze eerste zinnen wel duidelijk: “Dinner was served. Donna Martino, big and menacing, sat down at the head of the table. The chair squealed a protest…. “Shaddup!” roared Donna Martino.” Er is onenigheid in de familie omdat een van Donna’s dochters wil trouwen met iemand die niet zo welgesteld is. Donna is het hier niet mee eens. In de loop van het verhaal wordt duidelijk dat moeder en dochter niet veel voor elkaar onder doen. De laatste zin van het verhaal, die ik hier niet ga prijsgeven, kon niet beter gekozen zijn. Weergaloos.
Als afsluiting wil ik nog een gedeelte uit het titelverhaal, The Big Hunger, citeren. Het is geschreven vanuit het standpunt van een jongetje en laat prachtig zien moeilijk het voor volwassenen is zich te verplaatsen in de gedachtes van een kind. Fante toont zijn kunde door compleet vanuit het kind te schrijven. In deze scène lijken we opeens in het Wilde Westen terecht te komen, maar bevinden we ons in het hoofd en in de tuin van Danny Crane die Johnny, zijn buurjongen, ziet aankomen.
“A slinking figure at the corner of the garage caught his attention. (…) He was armed to the teeth, a rubber knife in his jaws, a rifle in his hands, and two Gene Autry . 45s strapped to his hips. John Stribling was the sworn enemy of the law and order in the West. Day and night he roamed the plains, shooting down constables, knifing sheriffs, ambushing marshals. For two weeks, since the beginning of summer vacation, Stribling had left a trail of blood and murder in his wake…”
Er rest mij nog een boek. Dan heb ik alles van Fante gelezen en is de grote honger naar ieder verhaal, naar ieder hoofdstuk, naar iedere letter, vrees ik, in ieder geval voorlopig even gestild.
December 13, 2023
Esta antologia, publicada de maneira póstuma em 2000, reúne dezoito contos escritos por John Fante. Alguns haviam sido publicados em revistas nas décadas de 30, 40 e 50, e outros são inéditos, encontrados nos arquivos do autor por seu biógrafo, Stephen Cooper.
Talvez porque Fante não fosse tão prolífico como um Bukowski, por exemplo - a maioria das pessoas o conhece apenas pelo quarteto de romances envolvendo o personagem Arturo Bandini -, é que este livro possui o sabor especial de nos fazer recordar o quão FODA Fante era como escritor. Não há nenhum conto "regular' aqui: todos partem do "muito bom" para cima, e a maioria é simplesmente excelente!
Alguns contos inclusive resgatam, implícita ou explicitamente, o consagrado personagem Bandini. Praticamente todas as histórias do livro tratam do tema que foi a verdadeira obsessão de Fante: narrar a saga e as agruras dos imigrantes italianos na América. Mas não apenas os italianos: Fante sabia como ninguém descrever o sentimento de não pertencimento e de deslocamento inerentes aos imigrantes pobres, como provado em dois ótimos contos narrados sob o ponto de vista de um imigrante filipino.
Meus destaques especiais vão para os contos "As suaves vozes silentes", "Bote na conta" (este acabou aprimorado e posteriormente transformado em um capítulo do romance de estreia de Fante, "Espere a Primavera, Bandini"), "O criminoso", "O caso do escritor assombrado" e o sensacional "O Sonho de Mama", além de "Prólogo para Pergunte ao Pó", que na verdade é mais um resumo do romance mais famoso de Fante do que um prólogo, mas ainda assim uma interessantíssima leitura sobre o que pensava o próprio autor de sua "magnum opus".
Se você curte John Fante, vá correndo ler este livro!
Talvez porque Fante não fosse tão prolífico como um Bukowski, por exemplo - a maioria das pessoas o conhece apenas pelo quarteto de romances envolvendo o personagem Arturo Bandini -, é que este livro possui o sabor especial de nos fazer recordar o quão FODA Fante era como escritor. Não há nenhum conto "regular' aqui: todos partem do "muito bom" para cima, e a maioria é simplesmente excelente!
Alguns contos inclusive resgatam, implícita ou explicitamente, o consagrado personagem Bandini. Praticamente todas as histórias do livro tratam do tema que foi a verdadeira obsessão de Fante: narrar a saga e as agruras dos imigrantes italianos na América. Mas não apenas os italianos: Fante sabia como ninguém descrever o sentimento de não pertencimento e de deslocamento inerentes aos imigrantes pobres, como provado em dois ótimos contos narrados sob o ponto de vista de um imigrante filipino.
Meus destaques especiais vão para os contos "As suaves vozes silentes", "Bote na conta" (este acabou aprimorado e posteriormente transformado em um capítulo do romance de estreia de Fante, "Espere a Primavera, Bandini"), "O criminoso", "O caso do escritor assombrado" e o sensacional "O Sonho de Mama", além de "Prólogo para Pergunte ao Pó", que na verdade é mais um resumo do romance mais famoso de Fante do que um prólogo, mas ainda assim uma interessantíssima leitura sobre o que pensava o próprio autor de sua "magnum opus".
Se você curte John Fante, vá correndo ler este livro!
March 23, 2024
John Fante is an author I've been meaning to read for some time now. He was an influence on Raymond Carver and Charles Bukowski. Mark Kozelek sings about reading Fante in a handful of songs on his solo and Sun Kil Moon songs. He seems like the kind of writer I'd be into. And for the most part, he is. I enjoyed The Big Hunger, a collection of found stories compiled two decades after the author's 1983 death, but I can't help but feel like these leftovers, as good as they are, aren't the best entry point into the man's catalog. A more appropriate entry point would be Fante's 1939 novel Ask the Dust, but The Big Hunter is the Fante book I found for $3.oo at a Goodwill a few years back and finally got around to reading.
Like any short story collection, particularly a posthumous collection of unpublished work, The Big Hunger is a mixed bag in terms of quality, yet even the less successful stories have something in the writing that makes them memorable. Most deal with boisterous and dysfunctional Italian American families in Denver, Colorado and are almost certainly autobiographical--cruel mothers are a prominent motif--but some tell of childhood mischief or the uncertainties of young adulthood. My favorite story by far is "To Be a Monstrous Clever Fellow", in which a young longshoreman tries to pick up women in a nightclub by presenting himself as an intellectual, but stories like "Charge It", "The Criminal", and "The Sins of the Mother" are also pretty great. I'm glad to have finally read Fante and look forward to exploring more of his work.
Like any short story collection, particularly a posthumous collection of unpublished work, The Big Hunger is a mixed bag in terms of quality, yet even the less successful stories have something in the writing that makes them memorable. Most deal with boisterous and dysfunctional Italian American families in Denver, Colorado and are almost certainly autobiographical--cruel mothers are a prominent motif--but some tell of childhood mischief or the uncertainties of young adulthood. My favorite story by far is "To Be a Monstrous Clever Fellow", in which a young longshoreman tries to pick up women in a nightclub by presenting himself as an intellectual, but stories like "Charge It", "The Criminal", and "The Sins of the Mother" are also pretty great. I'm glad to have finally read Fante and look forward to exploring more of his work.
February 2, 2023
Súper buen libro de cuentos, y es que este señor es un VERDADERO GENIO. Pero le puse cuatro estrellas en vez de cinco, porque aunque es un libro buenísimo, no es una cosa SOBERBIA como "El vino de la juventud", otra colección que hay y que me dejó marcando ocupado, con una sensibilidad, un toque, una manera de describir... uff (que también se ve, aunque no de manera tan extraordinaria, en éste).
También me pasó que este libro es una colección de cuentos que el autor mismo nunca tuvo intenciones de publicar. Los sacaron de su oficina cuando ya se había muerto, y considerando que lo hizo en 1983, DÉCADAS DESPUÉS de haberlos escritos... no sé, me sabe mal cuando la gente hace cosas como éstas, porque claramente el autor NO quería publicarlos, aunque unos pocos sí aparecieron en revistas de la época. Justo ese par son los mejores, y se entiende porque sí fueron aprobados por el autor. El resto, sin ser malos... a veces se sienten como que les faltó algo.
Pero súper súper seco John Fante. Es UNA DELICIA leerlo. Tiene una manera de mirar al mundo donde hasta las historias más terribles le sacan a una la ternura y las carcajadas. Una manera multidimensional que harto hace falta en general en la literatura.
También me pasó que este libro es una colección de cuentos que el autor mismo nunca tuvo intenciones de publicar. Los sacaron de su oficina cuando ya se había muerto, y considerando que lo hizo en 1983, DÉCADAS DESPUÉS de haberlos escritos... no sé, me sabe mal cuando la gente hace cosas como éstas, porque claramente el autor NO quería publicarlos, aunque unos pocos sí aparecieron en revistas de la época. Justo ese par son los mejores, y se entiende porque sí fueron aprobados por el autor. El resto, sin ser malos... a veces se sienten como que les faltó algo.
Pero súper súper seco John Fante. Es UNA DELICIA leerlo. Tiene una manera de mirar al mundo donde hasta las historias más terribles le sacan a una la ternura y las carcajadas. Una manera multidimensional que harto hace falta en general en la literatura.
April 26, 2023
If this were a normal story collection (and not a posthumous assembly), it would be a 1.
Here we see the emergence of Fante's voice. He writes tumbling, long sentences (well, I should add) with key repetition. Stuff someone like Kerouac is known for (but Fante probably does it better). Fante's greatest strength, IMO, is writing the sheer chaos of human emotion: the depths of gravitas and self-pity, occasional spite. I think we all have an inner Morrissey, and Fante is one of the best at expressing it.
But there's also a lot of average stories. Fante's voice is clearly strongest when he's writing as himself, rather than many of the third person narrations.
Reading Ask the Dust, I got the impression that Fante was in on the joke. That is, his narrator behaved ridiculously (see earlier comment about gravitas), but it was redeemable b/c Fante himself understood its ridculousness. Laughing at/with himself. Here, I'm not sure if he's in on the joke. This could be worse writing, or maybe it was just his personality. Who knows?
Either way, at least this gave me context for a writer's slush pile. Ask the Dust is still a masterpiece.
Here we see the emergence of Fante's voice. He writes tumbling, long sentences (well, I should add) with key repetition. Stuff someone like Kerouac is known for (but Fante probably does it better). Fante's greatest strength, IMO, is writing the sheer chaos of human emotion: the depths of gravitas and self-pity, occasional spite. I think we all have an inner Morrissey, and Fante is one of the best at expressing it.
But there's also a lot of average stories. Fante's voice is clearly strongest when he's writing as himself, rather than many of the third person narrations.
Reading Ask the Dust, I got the impression that Fante was in on the joke. That is, his narrator behaved ridiculously (see earlier comment about gravitas), but it was redeemable b/c Fante himself understood its ridculousness. Laughing at/with himself. Here, I'm not sure if he's in on the joke. This could be worse writing, or maybe it was just his personality. Who knows?
Either way, at least this gave me context for a writer's slush pile. Ask the Dust is still a masterpiece.
January 14, 2026
I love "The Big Hunger" Edited by Stephen Cooper. It is a collection of short stories by John Fante. One is a love story of a Filipino and a Japanese person in a Japanese Cafe, I believe between a Japanese woman and a Filipino man. It was well written. "Mary Osaka, I love you". "The Big Hunger" has 18 stories, around. "Bus Ride" these stories were written by Fante 1932-1959.
Another, story in "The Big Hunger" is the "Prologue to Ask the Dust". It was excellent. In that work, I believe, John Fante coined the phrase "Italian-American" for the first time in American literature. Another short story collection is "The Wine of Youth: Selected Stories of John Fante".
"A Sad Flower in the Sand", a video online you can watch, if you want, it's very good, in my opinion. It's a documentary by a Dutch director, I think Louter or something. It's very good.
Other good books by Fante are, "The Saga of Arturo Bandini". It is four novels with John Fante's alter ego Arturo Bandini. The third book or novel is "Ask the Dust", which is "the best piece of fiction written about L.A. ever," according to Robert Towne, the famous screenwriter.
Another, story in "The Big Hunger" is the "Prologue to Ask the Dust". It was excellent. In that work, I believe, John Fante coined the phrase "Italian-American" for the first time in American literature. Another short story collection is "The Wine of Youth: Selected Stories of John Fante".
"A Sad Flower in the Sand", a video online you can watch, if you want, it's very good, in my opinion. It's a documentary by a Dutch director, I think Louter or something. It's very good.
Other good books by Fante are, "The Saga of Arturo Bandini". It is four novels with John Fante's alter ego Arturo Bandini. The third book or novel is "Ask the Dust", which is "the best piece of fiction written about L.A. ever," according to Robert Towne, the famous screenwriter.
April 23, 2018
(In riferimento ai soli racconti 1932 - 1966)
Sì, Fante è un autore che ti lascia di buon umore - e sì, questo è un dono non da poco. Lo sfondo del mondo letterario di Fante pare essere evocato, più che costruito (o ricostruito), al punto che vita e letteratura finiscono per coincidere e all'arte viene negata gran parte della sua dietrologia speculativa. Questi racconti, insomma, vogliono dire esattamente quello che sono: inquadrano una certa realtà sociale - e culturale - e lì rimangono. Si direbbe, tra l'altro, che Fante ne resti ancora troppo coinvolto per poterla 'denunciare', e per questo si limita a raccontarla, per mezzo di una prosa schietta ma ancora pulita (è il presupposto al realismo sporco di Bukowski) . Lontano dalla personale visione di Dio di Greene, Fante lancia sovente una critica alle severità del cattolicesimo, mettendo in risalto un'ipocrita intransigenza che trova facile dimora nelle paure dei ceti più umili.
Sì, Fante è un autore che ti lascia di buon umore - e sì, questo è un dono non da poco. Lo sfondo del mondo letterario di Fante pare essere evocato, più che costruito (o ricostruito), al punto che vita e letteratura finiscono per coincidere e all'arte viene negata gran parte della sua dietrologia speculativa. Questi racconti, insomma, vogliono dire esattamente quello che sono: inquadrano una certa realtà sociale - e culturale - e lì rimangono. Si direbbe, tra l'altro, che Fante ne resti ancora troppo coinvolto per poterla 'denunciare', e per questo si limita a raccontarla, per mezzo di una prosa schietta ma ancora pulita (è il presupposto al realismo sporco di Bukowski) . Lontano dalla personale visione di Dio di Greene, Fante lancia sovente una critica alle severità del cattolicesimo, mettendo in risalto un'ipocrita intransigenza che trova facile dimora nelle paure dei ceti più umili.
July 26, 2025
Non si può non amare Fante: ironico, spietato, spiritoso, schietto. Una raccolta di racconti che spaziano in tutto il suo mondo: le avventure del bambino monello, le vicissitudini di una famiglia di fiere origini italiane, il padre muratore-ubriacone, la madre devota cattolica, lo scrittore spiantato e alle prime armi, la fame di fama e di successo.
“- Tu non la conosci. Come cammina. Il modo in cui ancheggia. È un invito. E perché si mette quelle gonne così corte e attillate? Se io ci sono cascato, perché mai non dovrebbe cascarci qualcun altro?
- Lascia perdere, Valenti.
Col pugno chiuso, batté piano sul tavolo. - Se almeno lo ammettesse! Devo sapere come stanno le cose.
- Ammettesse cosa?
- Quegli altri.
- Tu sei pazzo. Sei fuori di testa, sei un matto!”
“- Tu non la conosci. Come cammina. Il modo in cui ancheggia. È un invito. E perché si mette quelle gonne così corte e attillate? Se io ci sono cascato, perché mai non dovrebbe cascarci qualcun altro?
- Lascia perdere, Valenti.
Col pugno chiuso, batté piano sul tavolo. - Se almeno lo ammettesse! Devo sapere come stanno le cose.
- Ammettesse cosa?
- Quegli altri.
- Tu sei pazzo. Sei fuori di testa, sei un matto!”
August 29, 2025
"Büyük Açlık" John Fante'yle ilk buluşmam. Dilindeki sadelik ve o sadeliğin içindeki soğukkanlı derinlik ilk andan itibaren zihnime iyi geldi. Hiçbir sözcüğün oraya boşuna konmamış olduğunu hissetmek de öyle.
Öykünün kahramanı çocuksa bir çocuğun, göçmense bir göçmenin, taş ustasıysa tam bir taş ustasının algısını, tavrını ustalıkla yansıtıyor yazar. Öykülerdeki atmosfer ve diyaloglar, minik araştırmalarıma göre kişisel geçmişinin izini de taşıyor.
Çoğunu keyifle okumakla birlikte aralarında "Mama'nın Düşü" en sevdiğim oldu. Bir-iki tanesi ise havada kalmış ya da öylece bitmiş gibi hissettim. "Toza Sor'a Önsöz"ü bir türlü okuyamadım, birkaç kez baştan başlasam da nedense dikkatimi veremedim. Zorlamaya gerek yok, o da başka bir zamana kalsın.
Öykünün kahramanı çocuksa bir çocuğun, göçmense bir göçmenin, taş ustasıysa tam bir taş ustasının algısını, tavrını ustalıkla yansıtıyor yazar. Öykülerdeki atmosfer ve diyaloglar, minik araştırmalarıma göre kişisel geçmişinin izini de taşıyor.
Çoğunu keyifle okumakla birlikte aralarında "Mama'nın Düşü" en sevdiğim oldu. Bir-iki tanesi ise havada kalmış ya da öylece bitmiş gibi hissettim. "Toza Sor'a Önsöz"ü bir türlü okuyamadım, birkaç kez baştan başlasam da nedense dikkatimi veremedim. Zorlamaya gerek yok, o da başka bir zamana kalsın.
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