دن کامیلو و شیطان

by Giovannino Guareschi, مرجان رضایی (Translator)

Few writers have offered us so much fun with so little malice or cruelty as Giovanni Guareschi. In Don Camillo and the Devil he foils another set of dispatched from the Little World down there in the Valley of the Po, where there is a running fight between the honest village priest and his deadly opponent, Peppone, the Communist mayor. And once again the Good Lord is striving to keep the peace!

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Italy, Short Stories, Classics, Literature, Comedy

202 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

Giovannino Oliviero Giuseppe Guareschi, also know as Giovanni Guareschi, was a Italian journalist, writer, humorist. Along with Giovanni Mosca and Giaci Mondaini he founded the humorous magazine "Candido". He was well know because of the "Don Camillo" series based on the stories about the two main characters: Don Camillo, the priest and Peppone, the communist Mayor.

Reviews

[Jim Fonseca · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Revised, pictures and shelves added 2/26/23]

In the 1950s this Italian author had a good thing going: a series of books, starting with The Little World of Don Camillo, based on the rivalry between a big-hearted priest and a pugnacious communist mayor in a small town in Italy. This book is one of the series.



It’s not a novel or even a collection of short stories; it’s more a series of vignettes. Mostly they are humorous but a few are intended to be “heart-warming” as the Hallmark Channel might say. If these stories were ever televised the show would be a sitcom. Wiki says they have been made into TV and radio shows and movies in Italy.

The priest and mayor vie for the hearts and minds of the poor rural inhabitants who have their hands full making a living by tending their sheep, crops and vines. The mayor-priest rivalry is actually filled with a grudging mutual respect. They help each other out in a pinch and often end up sharing a bottle of wine even after the most pitched battles.



A lot of the stories have to do with 1950s technology. The priest frets about the propriety of trading in his donkey for a motorbike. The priest finally gets money from the diocese for a new movie projector for the church basement only to find out that the Communist People’s Hall has acquired the town’s first television! When bad weather afflicts the town, the mayor and the priest debate whether it is the USA’s or the USSR’s atomic bomb testing that’s at fault. The mayor and the priest each buy a refrigerator on an installment plan and both get in trouble making late payments.

Sometimes the priest is a matchmaker or a social worker. He talks to Christ on the altar and Christ answers him, so we hear the two-way conversations. He visits the rich landowners around the holidays to collect money for the poor.

It was a fun read and it gave you a sense of what it was like in rural Italy right after the War. But I’m not enticed to read any of the other volumes – not a sitcom fan.



The author (1908-1968) was a journalist, humorist and cartoonist. He’s best known for his Dan Camillo books. The Little World of Don Camillo is his most widely-read book in English.

Top photo, the Italian actor Fernandel in a Don Camillo movie from gazzettadiparma.it
Italian town from dailymail.co.uk
The author from Wikipedia

[Dhanaraj Rajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I regret for having come to acquaintance with Don Camillo so late. But then it is better late than never.

I just loved the stories. They are truly funny, witty and very humorous. I found myself laughing aloud many times reading through the story.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Sitz im Laben: The post war Northern Italy (The Po Valley)

The Main Characters: Don Camillo, the Catholic priest (Parish Priest of the Village) and Don Peppone (The communist Mayor of the Village).

The Minor Characters: There are many lovely ones. But the best one that I loved was Christ Himself. It is not that He comes alive in person. But whenever the parish priest ran to Him in prayer, Christ always responded with appropriate comments. I loved such interventions.

The Plots of stories: It is mostly the cold War between the Catholic Priest and the Communist Mayor. The blurb in the back cover states: "It may be Cold War in the Little World, but the greater world can only laugh. For this is a classic of humour." And that really sums up everything about the book in the most precise manner.

Overall: It is a great book about a lovely and lovable priest character. As a Catholic and as a priest I enjoyed it very much.

[Kaveh Rezaie · Rating 4 out of 5]

چهارمین داستان دن‌کامیلو....باز هم تنفس مصنوعی برایم شد و نجاتم داد...

آقای گوارسکی امیدوارم در جهانی که هستید، حالتان خوب باشد.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a pity, but Don Camillo is getting a little tired by this fourth book of stories. His crises of conscience are pretty trivial stuff and the emotion overall, both the former deep feeling and high humor, is much flatter than it was.

[Bahman Bahman · Rating 2 out of 5]

دن کامیلو، کشیشی است باهوش، رند، ساده، خوش‌قلب، جوانمرد، خشن، مومن، زورمند، لجوج... روستایی؛ په پونه نیز مردی است زورمند،لجوج، خوشقلب، مهربان، خشن، ساده‌لوح، جوانمرد، جزم‌اندیش، کم سواد، با روحیه‌ای نامستحکم، مایل به حیله‌گری اما ناتوان از آن، روستایی و ... کمونیست. محیط عمل و میدان تعارض این دو شخصیت، قصبه‌ای است در کنار رودخانه‌ای در حاشیه یکی از شهر‌های ایتالیایی: دن کامیلو کشیش این قصبه است وبه په پونه شهردار آن، که در عین حال مکانیک قصبه هم هست. و این دو، به لحاظ اختلاف دو ایدئولوژی و بینشی که بدان پایبندند، دائم با هم گلاویز... نیز باید به وجود یک شخصیت سوم هم در این "دنیای کوچک" اشاره کرد. این شخصیت مجسمه عیسی مسیح است که بر فراز محراب کلیسا نصب شده و در جریان وقایع، گاه به دخالت‌هایی ظریف، ما حاصل را به خیر و عافیت می‌کشاند و در نتیجه، هر چند ظاهراً در پایان هر ماجرا نوعی تعادل و توازن بین دو عنصر نمادین داستان( کشیش و شهردار مارکسیست ) برقرار می‌شود، اما حضور و دخالت مجسمه، نیروی کشیش را کمی "مساوی‌تر" می‌کند.

[Burcu]

Sanat Kritik'teki degerlendirmem: https://sanatkritik.com/yazilar/dunya...

[Anirudh Pokhariyal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many do not understand, Don Camillo, because they look at mere words instead of realities

[Eddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found a tattered, dog-eared copy of this book on the London underground, after having read it i can hand on heart say that had i found a pile of money instead i would not have gained as much.

The book is made up of short stories set in post-war Italy, it features two main characters, Don Camillo the village priest and Peppone the Mayor, similar to one another in that they are both physically imposing, warm and caring, honest and noble, quick to anger and even quicker to kindness, they are however deeply divided by politics, with Don Camillo championing the side of the United States and the catholic church, and Peppone being a staunch communist with a great admiration for Russia, the two men delight in causing each other mischief, the results of which almost always end in comedy or danger, yet when things truly go bad, when their stubborn adherence to their respective beliefs has obviously gone too far they help one another and forget their politics, this book re-enforces the message time and again that no matter what your political beliefs, love for your neighbour and his/her well-being should always come first.

I don't want to ruin any of the stories for you so i won't go into detail, yes they are dated but that is to be expected, as far as i know the author's works are no longer printed in English which to my mind is a great pity, as i found these stories to be charming and often laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes mysteriously magical and other times heart-breaking, as in the case of the story entitled "The Closed Gate."

Having lost my religious faith some time ago and having still not found it, this book and the others that Giovanni Guareschi wrote have given me great hope and comfort.

[Simon Mcleish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog here in June 2000.

More of the same in another sequel to The Little World of Don Camillo. These stories lack much of the freshness of the earlier ones, and the political message has slightly changed from being anti-Communist to the idea that there are more important things than politics. These stories were written about the time of the Hungarian uprising, which may have had something to do with this. I think these are the last short stories about Don Camillo and Peppone, the only other book being the novel Comrade Don Camillo. The Italian political scene had left them behind, and the reason for their existence had gone.

[Edoardo Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is, I think, the last of Guareschi's books about Don Camillo and Peppone, and in the first few stories the effort of cranking out another volume does show. However, after these, the standard steps up and there are a few lovely stories, as well as some good ones. A worthwhile volume for fans, but newcomers should read The Little World of Don Camillo first.

[Sarahjoy Maddeaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

(NB: I selected the wrong format, I actually read this as a printed book, not as an audio cassette.) I've been reading these books as an omnibus, and by this time some of the less appetising aspects of some stories were getting to me. My favourite parts of the books are the conversations which Don Camillo has with the Lord. There didn't seem to be so many of these in this book, and Don Camillo seemed to be acting with more of self and less of Christ in this one - perhaps I should have expected that from the title. Also there's no getting away from the violence within some stories, particularly against women, and that's a little difficult to swallow. But there were still some gems.

[Sudds Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like the little stories of the plain's and the village's (not so sleepy village's after all) around the mighty river Po. It is written and takes place under the hot sun, so you will certainly love and laugh out loud at these stories! my only complaint is the end of the book is too near the beginning. A perfect way to ease the mind away from the stress of everyday life an opportunity to be immersed in another time and place. A great insight into the habits and eventualities of human nature by
Giovannino Guareschi who died to soon.

[Farzan · Rating 4 out of 5]

داستان تقابل دو شخصیت بامزه به نام‌های دن کامیلو و پوپونه که تو دو جناح سیاسی مخالف هم هستن.
دن کامیلو کشیشیه که قدرت بدنی زیادی داره و همیشه معصوم و درستکار نیست ، گاهی حرکات شیطانی هم انجام می ده و بعد برای توبه و مشورت پیش مجسمه مسیح می ره و با مجسمه بامزه مسیح صحبت می کنه.

[Madhulika Liddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the small (but not always sleepy) little village in the Po Valley, the fearless, outspoken Catholic priest, Don Camillo, faces off—as always—with the Communist mayor, Peppone. They fight over everything, from the rightness or not of a child being saved by medicines brought by the American ambassadress, to the installation of a television in the People’s Palace. They come to blows, they resort to underhand tricks, they exchange barbs and complain to whoever will listen (including the Crucified Christ).

And yet they are together in mourning over shared sorrows: being robbed at a carnival, being scammed by an attractive ‘available-on-instalments’ company that sells TVs and refrigerators and whatnot. When Don Camillo finds himself being pursued by an irate someone with a gun, it’s Peppone to the rescue, and it’s Don Camillo who saves Peppone—at the eleventh hour, pretty much—from making a fool of himself.

I’ve loved the Don Camillo books ever since I was introduced to them, and this one is as good as any of the others I’ve read. It’s funny, yes; but it’s also amazingly poignant. Each story, no matter how short, in some way or the other touches upon what lies deep within each of us: the innate goodness of people, the humanity that comes forth at the oddest of times and in the unlikeliest of ways. It is about humour, of course, but it’s also about faith and grit and fair-mindedness, about competition that makes way for justice and what is right. It’s about living alongside others, about helping others and being human. And yet, because it’s all told through some delightful stories, through anecdotes that transcend time and space, it’s never preachy.

Plus, Don Camillo and Peppone make for an absolutely unbeatable combination. Their interactions are hilarious, and they are amazingly likeable characters (even when they’re being dishonest or overbearing or downright ridiculous).

(Note: One story here - The Closed Gate - caught me by surprise. It was somewhat uncharacteristic of the Don Camillo canon in its extreme darkness and gloom. A good story, but somewhat unusual for Don Camillo).

[Gale · Rating 4 out of 5]

BUTTING HEADS IN 1950's ITALY...

Presenting the eternal stuggle between--well, not exactly Good vs Evil--but Catholicism and Communism, this 4th Don Comillo book contines the delightful political tensions Guareschi created when he introduced readers to his "little world"--located in the Po River valley. In 23 mostly unrelated episodes Don Camillo squares off in passionate battles against the equally irrascible Mayor, Peppone--as well as with stubborn peasants, gossipy villagers, his own church superiors and even himself. Yet in moments of anguish or crisis he pours out his heart to the Christ on the crucifix in his church, who listens with compasison, speaking so that only the burly priest hears and understands. Ah, but will he prove contrite or obedient
to the wisdom of his Lord?

Hot-tempered, robust and occasionally self-indulgent (cigars, hunting, his dog) this village priest is as often embroiled in public debates with the representative of temporal authority (the Communist mayor) as in private attacks of conscience. But don't be fooled by the apparent enmity between these two hard-headed leaders of opposing views (the Reds vs the Whites); the two stongest men daily butt heads while seeking to outdo or discredit each other--which is only to be expected. Fortunately though, when the chips are down, these two men who would die rather than admit their friendship and respect for one another, often demonstrate their true camaraderie, human charity and village loyalty. Though neither would ever admit such human weakness in public! Guareschi has created a gentle, amusing Little World of his own--for children of all ages to visit in his delightful DON CAMILLO series.

(Augsut 25, 2011.)

[شیدا · Rating 3 out of 5]

دُن کامیلو و شیطان هم مثل دُن کامیلو و پسرِ ناخلف بامزه س.. به نظرم شخصیت دُن کامیلو و پپونه خیلی خوب از کار درومده دعواها شونم همین طور، البته یه بخشی ش فکر می کنم به خاطر اینه که چند سالِ پیش یه اقتباس خوب از داستان دُن کامیلو توی تئاتر شهر دیدم که خیلی هم خنده دار بود.. نقشِ دُن کامیلو رو سیامک صفری بازی می کرد نقش مسیح رو یه مردِ بلند قدِ ریشوی مو بلند که خیلی به نقشِ مسیحی که حرف می زنه و درد و دل های دُن کامیلو رو می شنوه می خورد نقش پپونه رو هم یه مردِ چاق بازی می کرد که الان اسمش یادم رفته ولی لحنِ صداش قشنگ یادمه وقتی سرِ دُن کامیلو داد می زد..خلاصه که خیلی تجربه ی خوبی از دُن کامیلو بود.. فکر می کنم اصلا این سری داستانای جوانی گوارسکی خیلی خوب می تونه اقتباس سینمایی یا تئاتری بشه
من کلن به نویسنده های ایتالیایی ارادتِ خاصی دارم
خیلی دوست دارم این رو ایتالیایی ش رو گیر میاوردم و می خوندم که خب فعلن میسر نیست چون به راحتی ای که کتاب انگلیسی می شه توی ایران پیدا کرد کتابای ایتالیایی نمی شه این نسخه ای رو هم که خوندم از نسخه ی انگلیسی ش ترجمه شده بود که انصافا ترجمه ی روون و خیلی خوبی بود

[ZaRi]

پپونه بار دیگر خودداری اش را از کف داده بود و یقه ی پیراهنش از عرق خیس شده بود .

" پدر ، بیا داستان گویی را کنار بذاریم و به واقعیت نگاه کنیم . در کشور ما ، از هر صد و هفت نفر فقط هفت نفر گوشت می خورن ، چون به باری تعالی ایمان دارن و دربازکن هم دارن تا بتونن به غذا دست پیدا کنن . در حالی که در روسیه ، که هیچ کس به باری تعالی ایمان نداره ، همه در بازکن دارن . "
دن کامیلو گفت : " ولی قوطی ی غذا ندارن .

[Dr.J.G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some four or five volumes in the series and except for the last one about visiting Soviet Russia, they sort of merge in memory - except one of the stories that stands out, about the ugly Madonna. I don't know if that is part of this one, but in any case the whole series is worth reading. And anyone who likes one - nay, reads one - is bound to go through all of them.

[Janet Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A humorous tale of a little priest, Don Camillo, and his interactions with the communist Mayor. Written in the 50's, the world of Don Camillo is different than 2014, yet age old conflicts, prejudices, and human nature antics are still evident and make this book one of universal themes.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny, very wry, very typically Guareschi - and very, very lovely. This book is more of a collection of short stories than a novel, although the individual chapters seem to follow one another chronologically.

[Nadine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grabbed this off my bookshelf post a sort out - an old legacy from my student days and still enjoyed the wry humour as the priest and the communist pit their wits against each other but humanity wins out in the end. A bit of light reading

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

چون دومین کتاب بود به فضاش عادت داشتم. برام مثل یه سریال کمدی شده. چیزی شبیه به فمیلی‌گای یا سیمپسون با قدرت خیلی کم‌تر.

[Shekoufeh Hi · Rating 4 out of 5]

يه زنگ تفريح طولاني و لذت بخش!!