Cesare Pavese Libros

CESARE PAVESE (Santo Stefano Belbo 1908 - Turín 1950) publicó la edición definitiva de su cancionero Trabajar cansa en la editorial Einaudi de Turín en 1943, tras una importante reelaboración estructural de la primera edición del libro, publicada en las ediciones Solaria de Florencia en 1936. El autor acompañó los poemas de dos apéndices, El oficio de poeta, de 1934, y A propósito de algunos poemas no escritos todavía, de 1940. En estos exponía las razones de su intensa experimentación poética iniciada en 1930 con la redacción del poema “Los mares del Sur”, que representa idealmente el inicio de la fase madura de su obra. La edición definitiva de Trabajar cansa, que ahora se presenta al lector en lengua española tal y como la concibió Pavese, prepara el camino tanto a buena parte de su narrativa inminentemente posterior a 1935, como al resto de su poesía, con la que guarda una estrecha relación textual.

On June 23rd, 1950, Pavese, Italy’s greatest modern writer received the coveted Strega Award for his novel Among Women Only. On August 26th, in a small hotel in his home town of Turin, he took his own life. Shortly before his death, he methodically destroyed all his private papers. His diary is all that remains and for this the contemporary reader can be grateful. Contemporary speculation attributed this tragedy to either an unhappy love affair with the American film star Constance Dawling or his growing disillusionment with the Italian Communist Party. His Diaries, however, reveal a man whose art was his only means of repressing the specter of suicide which had haunted him since childhood: an obsession that finally overwhelmed him. As John Taylor notes, he possessed something much more precious than a political theory: a natural sensitivity to the plight and dignity of common people, be they bums, priests, grape-pickers, gas station attendants, office workers, or anonymous girls picked up on the street (though to women, the author could-as he admitted-be as misogynous as he was affectionate). Bitter and incisive, This Business of Living is both moving and painful to read and stands with James Joyce’s Letters and Andre Gide’s Journals as one of the great literary testaments of the twentieth century.

Introspection is central to Cesare Pavese's work, leading him on a profound quest for self-understanding and truth about the world. His diaries, published posthumously, unveil the emotional and intellectual struggles that shaped his life and artistry. Considered one of Italy's most complex writers, Pavese's tragic suicide in 1950, shortly after receiving the prestigious Strega Prize, left a significant impact on the literary community. This reprint of his original diaries offers a deep insight into his anguished yet enlightening perspective.

The diary of Italy's greatest modern writer, who won the prestigious Strega Award shortly before his tragic suicide in 1950, offers a poignant glimpse into his thoughts and struggles. As he meticulously destroyed his private papers, this diary became a vital testament to his life and artistry, providing contemporary readers with profound insights into his mind and the circumstances surrounding his untimely death.

Exploring the complexities of life amidst Italy's tumultuous history, this collection showcases Cesare Pavese's major works. "The Beach" offers a comedic take on romantic misunderstandings, while "The House on the Hill" presents a gripping war narrative through a teacher's harrowing escape. "Among Women Only" delves into the dark side of affluence faced by a fashion designer, and "The Devil in the Hills" follows three young men on a summer journey filled with mysteries of love and death. Pavese's writing captures the essence of a transformative era.

In Pavese's last and greatest novel, Nuto, an orphan saved from death by a rural family, returns to Italy from America soon after World War II. He is now rich, and much has improved at home, but peace and prosperity cannot long mask the enduring realities of love and death.

Clelia, a successful couturier, returns to Turin at the end of the Second World War. Opening a salon of her own leads her into a nihilistic circle of young hedonists, including the charismatic Rosetta, whose tragic death forms the novel's climax. Pavese's gritty tales of post-war Italy have led to frequent comparisons with Michelangelo Antonioni (Blowup, Beyond the Clouds), who successfully filmed Among Women Only as Le Amiche in 1955.

Exploring themes of isolation and emotional detachment, the first novella delves into the life of an anti-fascist ex-prisoner at a secluded Italian resort, highlighting the complexities of a loveless sexual relationship. The second story shifts to a vibrant colony of artists and models in Turin, addressing issues of corruption and personal growth. Cesare Pavese's nuanced storytelling captures the struggles of individuals grappling with societal and personal challenges.

'Pavese's novels are works of an extraordinary depth where one never stops finding new levels, new meanings' Italo Calvino June, 1943. Allied aircraft are bombing Turin; fascist Italy is on its knees. Every evening, after a day's teaching in the city, Corrado returns to the safety of the hills and the care of his two doting landladies. He has no attachments, no obligations. Yet against his better judgement he is drawn to the easy warmth of a circle of anti-fascists who congregate at a nearby tavern, and confronted with a painful choice: emotional and political commitment, with all its dangers - or devastating retreat. Pavese's extraordinary semi-autobiographical novel is a lucid portrayal of missed opportunities and human weakness, set against the seductive intensity of the Italian countryside. Translated with an introduction by Tim Parks

An astonishing portrait of an innocent on the verge of discovering the cruelties of love... an inimitable read... there are whispers here of the future work of Elena Ferrante Elizabeth Strout, from the introduction