nadaghanim's review against another edition
5.0
ليس أجمل من قراءة رواية تدور أحداثها فى إيطاليا غير زيارة إيطاليا
ليتنى أكون دائما فى اليوم ما قبل السعادة :)
ليتنى أكون دائما فى اليوم ما قبل السعادة :)
dajna's review against another edition
2.0
Era da molto tempo che volevo leggere qualcosa di de Luca, incuriosita dal fatto che i suoi libri sono ben esposti in Feltrinelli ed hanno delle copertine interessanti. Purtroppo, devo dire che non è il mio genere.
cooper_smith's review
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
tommooney's review
3.0
THE DAY BEFORE HAPPINESS by Erri De Luca. This short novel by one of Italian literature's big names is full of historical intruige but some of the language is strange in translation.
A young orphan boy comes of age in Naples. He plays football in the street, longs after a girl on a third floor balcony, reads books he borrows from a secondhand store. He is befriended by the building porter, himself an old orphan, who tells of the Neapolitan uprising that helped drive the Nazis out of the city during the war. He also acts as a guide, a guru almost, to the boy in all matters of love and life.
It is all very lovely. My only hangup is that some of the language, particularly the dialogue, is very melodramatic, enigmatic almost. This is not the sharp talk of the lower classes. Or do the poor in Italy talk like characters from Dawson's Creek? Who knows. Anyway, it's a decent book.
A young orphan boy comes of age in Naples. He plays football in the street, longs after a girl on a third floor balcony, reads books he borrows from a secondhand store. He is befriended by the building porter, himself an old orphan, who tells of the Neapolitan uprising that helped drive the Nazis out of the city during the war. He also acts as a guide, a guru almost, to the boy in all matters of love and life.
It is all very lovely. My only hangup is that some of the language, particularly the dialogue, is very melodramatic, enigmatic almost. This is not the sharp talk of the lower classes. Or do the poor in Italy talk like characters from Dawson's Creek? Who knows. Anyway, it's a decent book.
rockingreader's review
4.0
I was intrigued when a Postcrosser from Switzerland recommended this Italian coming of age novel. It takes place in the same era as Elena Ferrente’s My Brilliant Friend novels to give you an idea of setting and tone. I liked the bits of Italian woven throughout and it probably reads beautifully in the original. The story follows the adventures of an orphan taken under the wing of his apartment building’s doorman. Includes a cast of interesting tenants and the return of the girl who captivated him as a boy.
anywiebs's review against another edition
3.0
I know I took forever to read this short book, but it was more to lack of time than not liking the book. That is actually a very interesting portrayal of a young orphan boys coming of age and the history of Naples at the end of WWII. The writing takes you into the mind of the boy and how he sees and understands his world. You see him become a man and take responsibility for his actions.
laurarand's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
cjrigg22's review against another edition
3.0
Gives you a lot to think about. A great coming of age story. At times very weird, yet written beautifully. Reminds me a lot of the film Cinema Paradiso.
angelinite's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
this was definitely enjoyable and had some interesting themes, it wasn't my favourite but i liked how it was written