Life in the Country (Hesperus Classics) - Tapa blanda

In this richly colorful collection of stories, a masterwork of Naturalistic writing, Giovanni Verga attempts to capture the very essence of Sicilian life. A licentious woman coerces her son-in-law into agreeing to an illicit affair; a young boy, forced to work down in a mine to make a living, is robbed of his childhood and ultimately his life; a returning soldier toys with the affections of local girls and unleashes a sea of passion and vengeance from the village folk—read together, these stories form a remarkable chronicle of Sicilian country life in all its harsh reality. Giovanni Verga is Italy’s foremost Naturalist writer; he is best remembered for The House by the Medlar Tree, his saga of a family of Sicilian fishermen.

Hesperus Press, as suggested by their Latin motto, Et remotissima prope, is dedicated to bringing near what is far—far both in space and time. Works by illustrious authors, often unjustly neglected or simply little known in the English–speaking world, are made accessible through a completely fresh editorial approach and new translations. Through these short classic works, which feature forewords by leading contemporary authors, the modern reader will be introduced to the greatest writers of Europe and America. An elegantly designed series of genuine rediscoveries.