The Fan: A Comedy In Three Acts

by Carlo Goldoni, Kenneth McKenzie (Translator)

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.(The Fan)

Genres: Plays, Italian Literature, Fiction, Drama

132 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1763

About the author

Carlo Osvaldo Goldoni was an Italian playwright and librettist from the Republic of Venice. His works include some of Italy's most famous and best-loved plays. Audiences have admired the plays of Goldoni for their ingenious mix of wit and honesty. His plays offered his contemporaries images of themselves, often dramatizing the lives, values, and conflicts of the emerging middle classes. Though he wrote in French and Italian, his plays make rich use of the Venetian language, regional vernacular, and colloquialisms. Goldoni also wrote under the pen name and title "Polisseno Fegeio, Pastor Arcade," which he claimed in his memoirs the "Arcadians of Rome" bestowed on him.

Reviews

[Fonch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dedicated with love to Italy, the Italians who are valiantly suffering the ravages of Coronavirus and the user of Goodreads signora Inés.
Ladies and gentlemen, several things the first thing is to talk about the dedication of this critique, which is written to give encouragement and courage to the Italians, who are suffering most in confinement with the Coronavirus crisis, although the dedication could also be extended to everyone, because coronavirus is affecting all the countries of the world. Most likely this is my last review in a long time, as the university may be closed for some time to prevent the expansion of the coronavirus. I may have underestimated this disease, to keep everything I said about Coronavirus. Let us not be afraid, for this will not be the end of humanity, even if it seems difficult we will still stand when this disease is a memory. I believe that as I said this sentence is repeated by a brilliant journalist Ricardo Ruiz de la Serna and borrowed from rabbi Akiva ben Joseph of the second century after Christ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbi_A...
"It's deep in the night when dawn begins"
as I said the coronavirus can be a great opportunity, to show the best of the human being, and to turn our hearts to God, which is what I would like to happen after this crisis. I know it is very difficult, since we are all afraid of the most, but this is an occasion to meditate, pray, and to extreme charity with the sick. We must not see them as a monster, not a threat, but as people who are suffering from a disease. You should pray for them, and offer all kinds of givings, and comforts possible. Do your best, so that they have a treatment, even if it is expensive, and within the possibilities not to let them die. Let no one become the hero and do more than he can, and that they follow the advice given for healing, even locked up at home, good things can be done. Follow the guidelines and protocols, if you are sick call the care phones so that they can be isolated for the common good, and be patient (I put here the Spanish phones https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/202... ) Don't do like a sick man who's tired from his confinement in retaliation. He spit on his nurses to get infected. Be patient and avoid these reactions as a result of hopelessness. Wash your hands, have hot drinks, and put your heart into God our Savior, who he will not abandon to you, and if you are not religious, turn to the natural law and the common good and do what is best for the community. I don't know how many more will die, but remember this life is temporary and another, fuller, and perfect one awaits us. I leave this article of religion in Freedom, to help https://www.religionenlibertad.com/eu... https://www.religionenlibertad.com/pe... https://www.religionenlibertad.com/nu... https://www.religionenlibertad.com/ci... This review will be made in three English languages (for most goodreads), Spanish, and Italian users in a sign of deference to this beautiful country, which like mine and everyone else is facing this calamity. Finally, I would like to thank my boss, the great-nephew of Don Pío del Río Hortega https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Don Juan del Río Hortega Bereciartu for allowing me to use the computer, for trusting me and giving me this job, and above all for the good that he is with me and for how well he treats me despite my theorurgy :-). I know that my good friend Don Ramón will read this review, you can only hope that he likes it and prays for all of us especially for the sick. them Having said that, while it is true that it lacks a little of religious significance, I believe, that this is the right book for these moments. A joyful, light-hearted comedy, what is needed in these moments humor, freshness and a novel that shows its charm for life. I must confess to the goodreads users that I am not a big fan of the neoclassical period (even if I like its architecture not so its spirit) and less of the illustration, that for me it is a saint to the darkness. But I like this brilliant comedy of unwinding, and of social criticism, with the intention of improving the customs that the Italian Carlo Goldoni makes. I admit, I wanted to read Goldoni for a number of reasons. Because a film, which I won't recommend, seems to have been inspired by his play "La Locandiera" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... for his film. The second reason is for the praise that John Paul I dedicated to Carlo Goldoni in his wonderful epistles from his book "Beautiful Lords" wonderful, and delicious book, which I recommend to everyone https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... (which by the way he slains many of the progressive topics with which he has wanted to join this Pope, who only for this book deserves to go down in history). In this book in which the author writes letters to numerous personalities I remember the one he dedicated to Goldoni comparing his work to that of the Bard, or the Swan of Avon William Shakespeare in which he compared Shakespeare's play "The Taming of the Shrew" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... ("The tamed iron" in Spain, which is not original because already infante Don Juan Manuel in his "Count Lucanor" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... had a similar work). Returning to Don Albino Luciani lucidly in a letter he made an analysis of the work of the English and Italian playwright, and not by jingoism, or chauvinism declared that it was better, fresher, natural, and more favorable to the Italian writer. It was a bit the same when we compared Geoffrey Chaucer https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... to the immortal author of the "Decameron" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... even if they are both tinged with criticism of the behavior of certain ecclesiasticals, and are full of eroticism and sensuality are very moral books, which seek to correct the evils that afflict the society of their time, and at least "The Tales of Canterbury" are full of religiosity, and encourages a religious, and uplifting life. In fact, Chaucer at the end of his life apologized for the excesses of his works, in case they could have led someone to condemnation. It is curious, because Bocaccio's work was written on the famous plague just as I am writing this review in the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak, with the knowledge that the plague was more terrible. I recommend Michael Flynn's wonderful fantasy novel "Eifelheim" (which deals with the expansion of the plague in a 14th-century German village, despite its mix of science fiction and the historical novel I endorsed and recommended it) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... , for me in this case superior to Umberto Eco's "Name of the Rose" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... This we say, because yesterday it aired on TVE2. Let us be sincere William of Baskerville does not rescue Aristotle, but St. Albert the Great https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... , and St. Thomas Aquinas https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... , which are attacked by the nominalists, a current with which the illustrious inhabitant of the city of Alessandria is identified. In this case he beats the Saxon to the Italian, since the Middle Ages described by Michael Flynn is closer to reality than that of tinctures so black that Echo shows us with a subtle mockery of Borges https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Returning to Carlo Goldoni to which I have something relegated. I love that he used a fan to show the worst, and the best of the human condition. That fan is more dangerous than the steak of the man who killed Liberty Valance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (said that's one of my favorite westerns). Or Sauron's ring. Goldoni uses an object in this charming screw ball, to make a constructive, pedagogical social satire, and correct the miseries of 18th-century Italian society. It does not reach the cruelty of Valle Inclán https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... and its skewed, in fact, even if Goldoni's characters fall into the pathetic, despite their flaxties the reader never fails to feel sympathy for them. Just because of how good we had it with them. We could say, we laughed with Evaristo, and Baron de Lino. Goldoni laughs at the people of high statism the Baron, the Count of Roca (who is my favorite character) who is matchmaker and celestino https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... (although the forerunner would be the cheerful woman of The Archpriest of Hita https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... r) as the immortal Michelin of "The Quiet Man" (Homeric) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Qui... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... Anyway, and asking for forgiveness to the moviegoers I prefer and like more than the Irish elf steerer, it almost looks like a Leprechaun the friendly and truhanesque count, who just wants to live life as best as possible, and read some fables while throwing the yews at Doña Gertrude, coming out of the mess he gets into as well as he can. With this play in which the protagonist Don Evaristo is in love with Doña Cándida the pupil of Doña Gertrudis (estamento de la alta bourgeoisie, although Cándida is an exposita in the care of his aunt). The scene takes place in the village, and a tavern, and in that it looks a lot Like Goldoni to G.K. Chesterton in his love of taverns. Something very typical of the country that saw the birth of the mythical painter Caravaggio. As Evaristo is in love with Candida, taking advantage of an argument of this, because she is in love with him, and that he is accidentally in love with her. He buys a fan from the village gossip and as in the second work of Agatha Christie's "The Works of Hercules" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... the damage done by slander and misunderstandings (there is Goldoni's reforming and iconoclastic spirit) as this one fears what they will say (another subtle critique) decides to ask Doña Juanita, who has a very brute brother from which he wants to be rid, and is courted by two men the shoemaker (Crispín who loves her and crowned) who saves him the fan which will trigger that green-eyed monster, who will wreak havoc, while the fan makes his own. But it's a comedy and in the end the reader knows how it's going to end. I have enjoyed the freshness, disinhibition, naturalness, and tenderness that Italians have, which prevents the work from becoming a cruel work, as could happen with The Barber of Seville https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... , and it is more enjoyable than the work of our Leandro Fernández de Moratín "The yes of the children" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... and is not as cold and devoid of emotion as the works of Alfieri https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... worthy son of the hieratic, and cold eighteenth century and is slightly feminist. Since Goldoni cares about the woman. The happy ending has the same function as Miss Jane Austen's novels https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... to reward the characters, and lead them on the path of virtue once scared from their mistakes. I would have liked an alternative ending where the link would have been different as Paul Claudel does in his wonderful play "The Annunciation of Mary" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... I can't complain anyway, because everything ends well, and he has a nice time with the creatures of Goldoni. I spend as Jodie Foster doing Maverick https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maverick_ (film) I hope that they enjoyed, and that this is not my last review, but the penultimate review, as my next review will be "The Life of Rance" by Chateaubriand https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... . A hug to the Italians, and a tip, to live as if it were the last day doing good. Because as the Winslow case says, doing justice is easy to do good, not so much.

[Pooya Kiani · Rating 3 out of 5]

با هزار ارفاق سه ستاره، اونم به‌خاطر اینکه در اون سالها از حق زن در ازدواج دفاع و از بورژوازی توخالی انتقاد (نه چندان عیان) کرده. ورژن بدتر و قدیمی‌تر کمدی‌های ننر نیل سایمونی. بعضی از جاهاش انقدر کلیشه و تکنبک‌زده و نخ‌نما بود که آدم تهوعش می‌گرفت. شکسپیر کجا و این‌ها کجا‌. ترجمه خوب بود ‌و گناهی به گردن مترجم نیست. اصلا پیشنهادش نمی‌کنم.

[Federica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Il Ventaglio è una delle più celebri commedie di Goldoni (1707-1793), scritta in italiano nel periodo di residenza nella capitale francese, portata in scena per la prima volta dagli attori della Comédie Italienne nel 1763 a Parigi ma poi rappresentata nella sua versione definitiva a Venezia al Teatro San Luca due anni dopo, dove ottenne molto più successo rispetto alle rappresentazioni parigine.

La vicenda si snoda nell’arco di una sola giornata in un paesino vicino Milano e comincia nel momento in cui Evaristo rompe il ventaglio di Candida e decide di comprarne uno nuovo prima di partire per una battuta di caccia. Ma, anziché portarlo direttamente alla sua amata, Evaristo sceglie di darlo a Giannina affinché sia lei a consegnarlo a Candida, e non lui, poiché teme che la zia di Candida, Geltruda, possa scoprirli. Il gesto viene però notato sia da Candida che dagli spasimanti di Giannina, Evaristo e Coronato, il che chiaramente suscita la loro gelosia e porta a numerosi litigi e ripicche e, soprattutto, al passaggio del ventaglio da un personaggio all’altro fino a tornare, dopo il rientro di Evaristo dalla caccia, con non poche difficoltà nella mani di Candida, risolvendo così tutti i fraintendimenti.

Nella commedia sono presentati numerosi personaggi. I protagonisti, Evaristo e Candida non risultano avere qualcosa di particolare, con l’eccezione di Evaristo che mostra la profondità del proprio sentimento nei confronti di Candida. Notevole è sicuramente Giannina, una giovane contadina che, nonostante non abbia una posizione sociale importante quanto quella di Candida, risulta essere una donna molto più intelligente e indipendente, che rifiuta di sottostare all’autorità del fratello, che vuole sceglierle il marito, e del Conte, di cui rifiuta la protezione. Un altro personaggio interessante è proprio quest’ultimo, il Conte di Rocca Marina, nei cui comportamenti e pensieri si può scorgere una sorte di caricatura del nobile decaduto, che ostenta una importanza e una ricchezza ormai persa da tempo, rispettato formalmente da Geltruda, Candida e da coloro che hanno una posizione più elevata ma sbeffeggiato dal resto dei personaggi, che invece appartengono al comune popolo. Dal punto di vista tecnico è formato da scambi di battute molto veloci e da passaggi tra le diverse scene che, al contrario, risultano graduali e consequenziali.

La storia non presenta contenuti particolarmente profondi, così come gran parte dei personaggi, ed è anche abbastanza semplice prevedere la svolta che subiranno gli eventi; ho trovato interessante osservare l’analisi di Goldoni dei difetti umani che trovano modo di emergere sia dalla figura del Conte ma anche tramite il ventaglio e ciò che esso rappresenta: sia l’amore di Evaristo per Candida ma soprattutto la sua capacità di scatenare le malelingue e le dicerie, basate solo su supposizioni.

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

"The Fan' is old-time, picaresque stuff, with the characters stepping from real-time to explain the meaning of their actions to the audience.

Carlo Goldini peoples his stage with a series of flawed characters and seems to suggest, in doing so, that we are all flawed (and should therefore pay attention).

The setting is small village outside of Milan with a classic, pre-industrial social hierarchy complete with "A Count," gentlemen, gentleladies, artisans, laborers, and ne'er-do-wells.

The Fan itself appears first as a gift of affection from the well-intentioned Evaristo to a young maiden, but is set afloat and into the hands of different characters.

The fan's purpose and value are repeatedly altered as it changes possession as the characters mostly misread those values and the intentions behind its being giving or stolen.

In the end, it seems to this reader, the station of each in the village society is enhanced or depleted by personal traits so that the well-born or well-heeled fair about the same as their purported lessers.

[Shervin Ghiami · Rating 4 out of 5]

8.4

A criminally under-appreciated play by the virtually unsought Carlo Goldoni. His wit exceeds that of Wilde, and his sense of comedic and tragic balance is absolutely masterful. The characters each have a distinct social standing, ranging from the lordly Baron, to the pretentious Count, to the rustic Giannina, a peasant girl. Through their speech and action their prestige is clearly felt, and allows us to visualize the play very easily. No doubt it is the best example of the play meant to be presented purely in the stage medium, given its frequent asides and breaking of the fourth wall. An incredible Venetian comedy. Highly recommended.

[Ladygiodesi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goldoni è un autore che già a scuola non amavo. Ho voluto però riprovarci dopo tanti anni… e confermo le mie difficoltà nel leggerlo.

Si tratta di una commedia il cui protagonista principale sarebbe un ventaglio che passa di mano in mano, per giungere infine in dono alla dama a cui era designato in regalo fin dall’inizio. Una trama che potrebbe essere ricca di spunti comici, e invece io mi sono persa nei vari passaggi, complici la noia nella lettura e la banalità di certi passaggi di mano del ventaglio.

Credo però che vista a teatro potrebbe rivelarsi una commedia più interessante rispetto alla lettura.

Assegno una stellina in più per l’edizione che ho letto (Letteratura Universale Marsilio, 2002), e che consiglio: riporta molte annotazioni, curiosità e dettagli che aiutano la lettura.

[Elisa]

一期毕业啦！非常快乐的一个半月时光！感谢哥尔多尼让我第一次读到一种真正自由的、不受标准语界定的方言文学（既不是标准语的翻译，也不是标准语的对立面，有它自己完整的多样性 aka 不同人物说的同一种方言也是不同的，而不须在对抗中确认自己的位置），如果说这种近乎完美的自由仅仅在他全盛期的最后时刻才能短暂地达到，那无非说明了它的确是一种千锤百炼而且充分自觉的现实主义艺术而不能还原为历史偶然性的总和。
（以上均与本书无关。本书的导读通篇在批判它写得有多烂，虽然是立场先行的，但确如文章所说，作为一部写于法国的行活，这出戏尽管没有一处背离外在的真实，其内部却未必含有它。区别真实和非谎言需要极大的努力，无论对作者还是读者。而法国时期的作者或许已经看不到现实中有什么值得他这样做了。）

[Paria · Rating 5 out of 5]

به غیر از نمایشنامه های یونان باستان، خوندن نمایشنامه های دیگه هیچ وقت برام راحت نبود. اونقدر نمیتونستم لذت ببرم. اگه کمدی بود که اوضاع سخت تر هم میشد. اما این نمایشنامه نامه برام عوض کرد همه چیو.

[Mica Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es buenísimo como por UN abanico se arma todo el drama, además es gracioso. Muy bueno.