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Infinite Summer: A Novel
A novel set in Tuscany during the magical years when thousands of businesses blossomed, manufacturing objects for everyday life as well-made and beautiful as the Renaissance art that inspired them
Infinite Summer brings the reader back to Italy in the 1970s, a time when growth and full employment propelled smart and industrious young men to create companies devoted to design, architecture, automobiles, and more. Three men share a dream of building a textile factory from scratch. Ivo Barrocciai, the enthusiastic son of a textile artisan, embarks on an elaborate project: to build a luxurious factory that will be the envy of the Milanese. He recruits Cesare Vezzosi, a small building contractor, and Pasquale Citarella, a hardworking foreman from the south. Their relationships with each other and with their wives, their secret passions, their ambitions, and the compromises they have to make create a comical, moving fresco. It is at once a family saga and a love story not only about people, but also about a reborn, ambitious, and courageous nation that revolutionized taste and fashion, a nation proud and thrilled with its new place in the world. Nesi shows us Italy at its best: the Italy with which we fell in love."
Infinite Summer brings the reader back to Italy in the 1970s, a time when growth and full employment propelled smart and industrious young men to create companies devoted to design, architecture, automobiles, and more. Three men share a dream of building a textile factory from scratch. Ivo Barrocciai, the enthusiastic son of a textile artisan, embarks on an elaborate project: to build a luxurious factory that will be the envy of the Milanese. He recruits Cesare Vezzosi, a small building contractor, and Pasquale Citarella, a hardworking foreman from the south. Their relationships with each other and with their wives, their secret passions, their ambitions, and the compromises they have to make create a comical, moving fresco. It is at once a family saga and a love story not only about people, but also about a reborn, ambitious, and courageous nation that revolutionized taste and fashion, a nation proud and thrilled with its new place in the world. Nesi shows us Italy at its best: the Italy with which we fell in love."
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2015
10 people are currently reading
683 people want to read
About the author
Edoardo Nesi
40 books48 followersEdoardo Nesi is an Italian writer, filmmaker, and translator. He began his career translating the work of such authors as Bruce Chatwin, Malcolm Lowry, Stephen King, and Quentin Tarantino. He has written five novels, one of which, L'età dell'oro, was a finalist for the 2005 Strega Prize and a winner of the Bruno Cavallini Prize. He wrote and directed the film Fughe da fermo (Fandango, 2001), based on his novel of the same name, and has translated David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 14, 2017
A counter view to life during Italy's "Years of Lead"
Edoardo Nesi's new novel, Infinite Summer (translated from the Italian by Alice Kilgarriff), takes place in Tuscany between August 1972 and August 1982, right in the middle of the period known in Italy as the "Years of Lead," a period of social and political turmoil marked by left-wing and right-wing killings and bombings. Knowing a bit of this history gives the novel a feeling of unfolding in an alternate Italy, an Italy of booming growth, expanding global markets for Italian goods, and limitless possibilities.
Nesi is a translator, writer, filmmaker, and politician. He has translated Bruce Chatwin, Malcolm Lowry, Stephen King, and David Foster Wallace among others. He's written a dozen books, one of which, Fughe da Fermo, was made into a film that he directed. In 2013 he was elected to the Italian Parliament's Chamber of Deputies.
Infinite Summer weaves together the stories of four characters: Ivo Barrocciai, the expansive, optimistic son of a modest Tuscan textile manufacturer; Cesare "The Beast" Vezzosi, a small-time building contractor; Vittorio, Cesare's young son; and Pasquale Citarella, "a hard-working foreman and house painter from the South." In other words, a representative of the upper, middle, and lower classes.
Ivo has a vision: Build a textile factory on the outskirts of Florence that will be "the envy of the Milanese." The factory must be huge, larger than any factory in the region. It must have two stories. Ivo's own office must be as large as a tennis court and a white Carrara marble staircase must lead to it. As frosting on this cake, an Olympic-size swimming pool must be built on the roof. Ivo's vision includes Vezzosi as the contractor and Citarella as site manager. Because Ivo's goals are so outrageous and because neither Caesare nor Pasquale have any experience in their assigned roles, I expected the enterprise to collapse in a heap of debt and recriminations.
But it doesn't. There are complications, but it won't spoil the book to know that at the end Ivo can enjoy his rooftop pool. Between the first chapter in which we meet eight-year-old Vittorio and the last, we follow Ivo, Cesare, Vittorio, and Pasquale change and grow, picking up insights into Italian life and culture along the way—one of the many pleasures of Infinite Summer.
The book is interestingly constructed. Some chapters are virtually all description, some are all dialogue. Some limit the point of view to a single character, some take an omniscient point. Early in the book, Nesi takes the time to describe in considerable detail a pickup soccer game that includes this:
" . . .The ball—a gnarled, rough, rubber sphere adorned with the word 'Yashin' in honor of the great Russian goalkeeper of the 1960s whom none of the boys had ever seen play—rises so high that Arianna [Vittorio's mother] sees it trace an arch through the sunset burning brightly below the low, distant hills. It's a brushstroke, a satellite, a signature that strokes the sky . . . "
And here is Ivo, persuading Cesare to build his beautiful factory:
" . . . Think about it, Cesare, I'm always abroad selling, and while I'm in Germany, or America, or Japan, or Cape Town in South Africa, my business needs loyal, honest, tireless workers, people who care about the business as much as I do. They're the ones who'll keep it going. I call the shots, of course, but they're the ones who do all the work, and if they aren't any good, if they don't give their hundred percent, if they don't want to stay that extra hour, the company won't go anywhere, you see?"
In one sense, Infinite Summer is a brief for capitalism and global trade. Ivo is able to obtain financing to build his factory, hire and motivate skilled workers, and sell his innovative fabrics around the world. The problems are personal; men—and women—are attracted to inappropriate sexual partners and complications ensue. All in all, a fascinating and convincing picture of a certain time in Italy and an engaging and persuasive portrait of characters who were living through it.
Edoardo Nesi's new novel, Infinite Summer (translated from the Italian by Alice Kilgarriff), takes place in Tuscany between August 1972 and August 1982, right in the middle of the period known in Italy as the "Years of Lead," a period of social and political turmoil marked by left-wing and right-wing killings and bombings. Knowing a bit of this history gives the novel a feeling of unfolding in an alternate Italy, an Italy of booming growth, expanding global markets for Italian goods, and limitless possibilities.
Nesi is a translator, writer, filmmaker, and politician. He has translated Bruce Chatwin, Malcolm Lowry, Stephen King, and David Foster Wallace among others. He's written a dozen books, one of which, Fughe da Fermo, was made into a film that he directed. In 2013 he was elected to the Italian Parliament's Chamber of Deputies.
Infinite Summer weaves together the stories of four characters: Ivo Barrocciai, the expansive, optimistic son of a modest Tuscan textile manufacturer; Cesare "The Beast" Vezzosi, a small-time building contractor; Vittorio, Cesare's young son; and Pasquale Citarella, "a hard-working foreman and house painter from the South." In other words, a representative of the upper, middle, and lower classes.
Ivo has a vision: Build a textile factory on the outskirts of Florence that will be "the envy of the Milanese." The factory must be huge, larger than any factory in the region. It must have two stories. Ivo's own office must be as large as a tennis court and a white Carrara marble staircase must lead to it. As frosting on this cake, an Olympic-size swimming pool must be built on the roof. Ivo's vision includes Vezzosi as the contractor and Citarella as site manager. Because Ivo's goals are so outrageous and because neither Caesare nor Pasquale have any experience in their assigned roles, I expected the enterprise to collapse in a heap of debt and recriminations.
But it doesn't. There are complications, but it won't spoil the book to know that at the end Ivo can enjoy his rooftop pool. Between the first chapter in which we meet eight-year-old Vittorio and the last, we follow Ivo, Cesare, Vittorio, and Pasquale change and grow, picking up insights into Italian life and culture along the way—one of the many pleasures of Infinite Summer.
The book is interestingly constructed. Some chapters are virtually all description, some are all dialogue. Some limit the point of view to a single character, some take an omniscient point. Early in the book, Nesi takes the time to describe in considerable detail a pickup soccer game that includes this:
" . . .The ball—a gnarled, rough, rubber sphere adorned with the word 'Yashin' in honor of the great Russian goalkeeper of the 1960s whom none of the boys had ever seen play—rises so high that Arianna [Vittorio's mother] sees it trace an arch through the sunset burning brightly below the low, distant hills. It's a brushstroke, a satellite, a signature that strokes the sky . . . "
And here is Ivo, persuading Cesare to build his beautiful factory:
" . . . Think about it, Cesare, I'm always abroad selling, and while I'm in Germany, or America, or Japan, or Cape Town in South Africa, my business needs loyal, honest, tireless workers, people who care about the business as much as I do. They're the ones who'll keep it going. I call the shots, of course, but they're the ones who do all the work, and if they aren't any good, if they don't give their hundred percent, if they don't want to stay that extra hour, the company won't go anywhere, you see?"
In one sense, Infinite Summer is a brief for capitalism and global trade. Ivo is able to obtain financing to build his factory, hire and motivate skilled workers, and sell his innovative fabrics around the world. The problems are personal; men—and women—are attracted to inappropriate sexual partners and complications ensue. All in all, a fascinating and convincing picture of a certain time in Italy and an engaging and persuasive portrait of characters who were living through it.
March 28, 2023
Одличен, позитивен роман, за Италија во подем, во 70-тите и 80-тите години од минатиот век. Луѓето полни елан работат за да си го подобрат животот. Иво барочаи, претприемач, трговец со ќебиња, решава да ја прошири фирмата на татко му и да произведува текстил. За тоа решава да изгради мегаломански погон, со базен на покривот. Неговиот ентузијазам и бестрашност преминува на сите оние кои го следат во работата. Архитектите, градежниците, мајсторите. Барочаи ги инспирира и ги поддржува своите работници. Пасквеле, обичен молер, уште при првата средба ја насетува неговата визија, па рамо до рамо со него, успева да стигне до своја куќа, да купи пристојни станови за своите и родителите на сопругата, а на крај се осмелува и да отвори своја фирма.
Читарела од друга страна, запаѓа во криза, се нафаќа на проект, кој е преголем за него и неговата фирма, но Иво како да не го гледа тоа, туку го „турка“ низ животот нагоре, без нитуе еднаш да спомне дека тоа е негова заслуга.
Приказна за една цела генерација храбри луѓе, кои во повоена Италија го градат општеството, потпрено на индивидуализмот. Потполно незаинтересирани за политиката, гласаат омразени политичари, со цел да им остане статус квото, на успешни претприемачи.
Читарела од друга страна, запаѓа во криза, се нафаќа на проект, кој е преголем за него и неговата фирма, но Иво како да не го гледа тоа, туку го „турка“ низ животот нагоре, без нитуе еднаш да спомне дека тоа е негова заслуга.
Приказна за една цела генерација храбри луѓе, кои во повоена Италија го градат општеството, потпрено на индивидуализмот. Потполно незаинтересирани за политиката, гласаат омразени политичари, со цел да им остане статус квото, на успешни претприемачи.
September 20, 2017
Senz'altro Nesi conosce bene il tennis, i tessuti e gli anni 80. In questo piacevole romanzo ce li illustra tutti e tre, aggiungendo qualche sostantivo rocambolesco e stiracchiato, nonché una bella cucchiaiata di sguardo al futuro - che altro non è che un bel "ritorno al passato".
A differenza di Anima Mia, racconta come erano gli imprenditori che hanno creato l'Italia della quale vediamo le macerie, che a me ogni tanto regala un tuffo al cuore e una facile commozione, riconoscendo in quei pensieri un pezzo del mio passato, che anche grazie a questi libri ogni tanto rimpiango.
A differenza di Anima Mia, racconta come erano gli imprenditori che hanno creato l'Italia della quale vediamo le macerie, che a me ogni tanto regala un tuffo al cuore e una facile commozione, riconoscendo in quei pensieri un pezzo del mio passato, che anche grazie a questi libri ogni tanto rimpiango.
August 22, 2018
Un interessante e avvincente spaccato di vita dell'Italia degli anni 70/80, che molti di noi hanno vissuto da bambini senza rendersi pienamente conto di come stessero veramente le cose. Eppure, dal racconto, saltano fuori dei dettagli che molti di noi hanno in qualche modo immagazzinato nella memoria, vuoi per sentito dire, vuoi perche' vissuti marginalmente e mai capiti appieno.
E' pero' curioso come manchi completamente il riferimento ad un particolare episodio che e' rimasto nella mente di molti italiani. Se volete, mandatemi le vostre opinioni a riguardo...
E' pero' curioso come manchi completamente il riferimento ad un particolare episodio che e' rimasto nella mente di molti italiani. Se volete, mandatemi le vostre opinioni a riguardo...
August 16, 2017
The setting for this book is Italy after WWII when people were full of hope for the future. The characters involved took risks - with money, with love, and with their dreams. For some, the outcome was not what they expected. Wealth did not necessarily bring all the happiness they desired, but brought new problems their way instead. Women weren't too independent at that time, and that was about to change.
June 7, 2023
Lovely book, my favorite parts are the parts diving into the romantic connections of the main characters. There is a lot of trudging through chapters about construction and textiles and some clunky translations. The ease at which the women in this book orgasm makes it very obvious it’s written by a man. Overall a nice read with characters full of depth and beautiful lyrical descriptions.
July 14, 2017
This might have gotten lost in translation.... but I could not get into this book at all. I also felt like the plot was all over the place.
September 21, 2017
A family saga and Italian love story that got a little lost in translation for me.
October 30, 2016
Ognuno ha la madeleine che si merita. La mia, in un caldo pomeriggio di luglio, ha assunto le sembianze di un piccolo paracadute di plastica bianco e rosso. Molti di voi non sapranno neanche di cosa sto parlando. Per me, invece, la comparsa di questo piccolo oggetto al termine della vertiginosa zoomata con cui inizia il libro, è significato tornare bambino in una delle tante estati assolate e oziose passate sulla spiaggia di Palombina o al Lido Tricarico di Manfredonia. Sarà per il fatto che io e Nesi abbiamo la stessa età (ci dividono un paio di settimane), ma confesso che per me leggere L’estate infinita è stato come salire su una giostra e, ad ogni giro, rivivere momenti e sensazioni con la stessa intensità e gli stessi occhi del bambino che sono stato.
La recensione completa su http://www.ifioridelpeggio.com/viaggi...
La recensione completa su http://www.ifioridelpeggio.com/viaggi...
November 8, 2015
Qualche banalità di troppo ma alla fine quello che Nesi, nelle ultime 50 pagine, scrive sulla categoria degli imprenditori italiani è pura verità. Sia per quelli che furono, sia per i presenti che certamente anche per i futuri. Un'altra mezza stellina da aggiungere.
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August 6, 2017Lettura leggera e godibile, credo se non autobiografica almeno molto vicina all'esperienza dell'autore che è stato imprenditore prima che scrittore. In sottofondo, ma neanche tanto, "Storia della mia gente" con cui Nesi vinse lo Strega qualche anno fa.
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September 30, 2017read about in NYT book section
February 28, 2018
Kind of a vacation read.
Want to read
November 22, 2018Incipit
Il cielo è perfetto, così miracolosamente terso da sembrare dipinto....
L'estate infinita Incipitmania
Il cielo è perfetto, così miracolosamente terso da sembrare dipinto....
L'estate infinita Incipitmania
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews