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Capri and No Longer Capri
Raffaele La Capria creates a portrait of Capri that begins in the time of Ulysses and moves to our present complex and hectic reality, and composes an elegy for a Nature blasted by human negligence and error. Americans have now been visiting Capri for many years, and La Capria’s book will offer much to newcomers to the island that they would not otherwise have at their disposal, for his slim volume is a guidebook of a special kind, something like a novel and a local Italian guide. Capri has had a long history as a place of retreat, of sensual license, and of unparalleled natural beauty. Without running through the usual list of sights, La Capria gives his reader the sensation of having peered beneath each stone, and of giving an appreciation of what such a place has done to others, some of whom, once under Capri’s spell, gave their lives over to their dreams.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
150 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1991
43 people want to read
About the author
Raffaele La Capria
76 books30 followersRaffaele La Capria was an Italian writer, known especially for the three novels which were collected as "Tre romanzi di una giornata".
La Capria was born in Naples, where he was to spend the formative years of his life. There he graduated in law, before staying in France, England and the United States and then settling in Rome. He contributed to the cultural pages of the Corriere della Sera and was co-director of the literary journal Nuovi Argomenti. A particular interest was English poetry of the 1930s: as well as writing numerous articles he translated works including T. S. Eliot’s Four Quartets. In the 1950s he wrote and produced a number of radio programmes for RAI on foreign contemporary drama. In 1957 he was invited to participate in the International Seminar of Literature at Harvard University. In 1961 his novel Ferito a morte won the prestigious Premio Strega.
He worked as co-scriptwriter on a number of Francesco Rosi’s films, including "Le mani sulla città" (1963), Uomini contro (1970) and "Cristo si è fermato a Eboli" (1979). In September 2001 he received a Premio Campiello lifetime achievement award and in 2005 "L'estro quotidiano" was selected as the winner of the Viareggio Prize for fiction.
He published his first novel, "Un giorno d'impazienza", in 1952. The second, and best-known novel, "Ferito a morte", came out nearly ten years later in 1961. In 1982 the three Neapolitan novels "Un giorno d'impazienza", "Ferito a morte" and "Amore e psiche" (1973) were re-issued as "Tre romanzi di una giornata".
His short stories include "La neve del Vesuvio" and the collection "Fiori giapponesi" (1979). His work as an essayist is represented by "False partenze" (1964), "Il sentimento della letteratura" (1974) and "La mosca e la bottiglia" (1996). An autobiography, "Cinquant'anni di false partenze", was published in 1964.
La Capria was born in Naples, where he was to spend the formative years of his life. There he graduated in law, before staying in France, England and the United States and then settling in Rome. He contributed to the cultural pages of the Corriere della Sera and was co-director of the literary journal Nuovi Argomenti. A particular interest was English poetry of the 1930s: as well as writing numerous articles he translated works including T. S. Eliot’s Four Quartets. In the 1950s he wrote and produced a number of radio programmes for RAI on foreign contemporary drama. In 1957 he was invited to participate in the International Seminar of Literature at Harvard University. In 1961 his novel Ferito a morte won the prestigious Premio Strega.
He worked as co-scriptwriter on a number of Francesco Rosi’s films, including "Le mani sulla città" (1963), Uomini contro (1970) and "Cristo si è fermato a Eboli" (1979). In September 2001 he received a Premio Campiello lifetime achievement award and in 2005 "L'estro quotidiano" was selected as the winner of the Viareggio Prize for fiction.
He published his first novel, "Un giorno d'impazienza", in 1952. The second, and best-known novel, "Ferito a morte", came out nearly ten years later in 1961. In 1982 the three Neapolitan novels "Un giorno d'impazienza", "Ferito a morte" and "Amore e psiche" (1973) were re-issued as "Tre romanzi di una giornata".
His short stories include "La neve del Vesuvio" and the collection "Fiori giapponesi" (1979). His work as an essayist is represented by "False partenze" (1964), "Il sentimento della letteratura" (1974) and "La mosca e la bottiglia" (1996). An autobiography, "Cinquant'anni di false partenze", was published in 1964.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 11, 2014
Capri is the most beautiful island to behold and evoked a dreamy state of recollection for me. Thank you Raffaele for writing this romantic volume full of eloquently written insights.
Lisa La Capria
September 13, 2024
For the most part I enjoyed this, it does capture some of the dreamy quality of Capri, but I am giving it one less star for the fact it meanders a bit, and seemed to go off point about the suicides of three people who were there, not hitting on the myth of the sirens etc. Maybe the translation, not sure.
July 1, 2019
didn't finish
September 4, 2022
Questo è un libro da leggere DOPO aver visitato e vissuto Capri, non prima. Lo si potrà davvero capire solo una volta viste le bellezze e conosciuta la storia dell’isola. Buona lettura!
December 30, 2024
A breezy and delicious micro and macro mediation on Capri and its culture, atmosphere and history
May 17, 2012
I am planning to visit the island of Capri this summer and while browsing the guidebooks at the library this slim book Capri and No Longer Capri, by Raffaele La Capria, caught my eye. Unfortunately the book did not do much for me, and I almost considered abandoning it a few times.
It is basically a memoir/history of Capri written in a series of essays or meditations on different aspects of the island. There is some progression from the past to the present through the book; it is clear that the author put some thought into the organization and outline. Some of the content was interesting but much of it referred to people I had never heard of: he spends quite a bit of time on several individuals who spent time on Capri in the early 20th century and who all ultimately committed suicide there. I had never heard of these people and his meditations on them were not very interesting to me. I am not familiar with the myth that surrounds Capri.
The later part of the book dwelt on the loss of the island the author knew as a boy, as it has become increasing overrun by tourists and pleasure seekers. The strong sense that the past was better and we are on a downward spiral of decay was disturbing and felt overly melodramatic.
The tone of the book is strongly romantic, nostalgic, and melancholic, and I found it difficult to read. I don't think this is due to a poor translation; I have no doubt the original Italian had this same tone - flowery, romantic language that often went in one ear and out the other for me, so to speak. Although there were bits and pieces that I enjoyed and appreciated, as a whole I felt that I could not relate to it.
I think I mainly have to conclude that this is just not my kind of book. I am, however, quite excited to visit Capri and definitely intend to do my best to go off the beaten path while there.
It is basically a memoir/history of Capri written in a series of essays or meditations on different aspects of the island. There is some progression from the past to the present through the book; it is clear that the author put some thought into the organization and outline. Some of the content was interesting but much of it referred to people I had never heard of: he spends quite a bit of time on several individuals who spent time on Capri in the early 20th century and who all ultimately committed suicide there. I had never heard of these people and his meditations on them were not very interesting to me. I am not familiar with the myth that surrounds Capri.
The later part of the book dwelt on the loss of the island the author knew as a boy, as it has become increasing overrun by tourists and pleasure seekers. The strong sense that the past was better and we are on a downward spiral of decay was disturbing and felt overly melodramatic.
The tone of the book is strongly romantic, nostalgic, and melancholic, and I found it difficult to read. I don't think this is due to a poor translation; I have no doubt the original Italian had this same tone - flowery, romantic language that often went in one ear and out the other for me, so to speak. Although there were bits and pieces that I enjoyed and appreciated, as a whole I felt that I could not relate to it.
I think I mainly have to conclude that this is just not my kind of book. I am, however, quite excited to visit Capri and definitely intend to do my best to go off the beaten path while there.
March 26, 2008
A true capture of the spirit of Capri. The author's writing is excellent.
July 5, 2015
pagine di lirismo puro
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February 27, 2019Se il cielo potesse mostrarci simpatia cosa sarebbe di noi? Non è proprio la sua indifferenza che mette in moto i nostri sentimenti?
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews