The Little Virtues: Essays
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Book Overview
In this collection of her finest and best-known short essays, Natalia Ginzburg explores both the mundane details and inescapable catastrophes of personal life with the grace and wit that have assured her rightful place in the pantheon of classic mid-century authors. Whether she writes of the loss of a friend, Cesare Pavese; or what is inexpugnable of World War II; or the Abruzzi, where she and her first husband lived in forced residence under Fascist rule; or the importance of silence in our society; or her vocation as a writer; or even a pair of worn-out shoes, Ginzburg brings to her reflections the wisdom of a survivor and the spare, wry, and poetically resonant style her readers have come to recognize. "A glowing light of modern Italian literature . . . Ginzburg's magic is the utter simplicity of her prose, suddenly illuminated by one word that makes a lightning streak of a plain phrase. . . . As direct and clean as if it were carved in stone, it yet speaks thoughts of the heart.' -- The New York Times Book Review
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:1628728256
ISBN13:9781628728255
Release Date:September 2017
Publisher:Arcade Publishing
Length:184 Pages
Weight:0.48 lbs.
Dimensions:0.7" x 5.5" x 8.2"
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
Le Piccole Virtù; Teach your kids the value of vocation.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
This book is a quick-read, but don't let the size fool you. The final two essays in Part Two of this compilation of Natalia Ginzburg's works entitled "Human Relationships" and "The Little Virtues" pose some very interesting ideas. Natalia Levi Ginzburg married Leone Ginzburg, leader of an antifascist conspirator group during the 1940s. Natalia and her family were forced to confinement in a small area in Abruzzo, which she vividly describes in the first essay, "Winter in the Abruzzi." The most thought-provoking part of this book for me was not the experience of World War II from the perspective of a Jewish family, but the ideas that Ginzburg proposes with respect to nurturing children. From now on, I will give this book as a wedding gift in hopes of inspiring critical thought in the very important task of raising children and instilling in them virtue. Of particular emphasis is the concept of money (e.g. How can a wealthy family teach its children the value of money while not restricting them unnecessarily from things that every child should have? Is such a balance possible?)
A Gem By Any Standard
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
I have personally purchased more of these books than any other human being. I like to keep a stash of them because they are simultaneously poinant, poetic and full of wisdom. I find that the cadence of her speech remains as beautiful in translation. "The Little Virtues" is a timeless book that speaks to the wonders and concerns of today, although the stories it contains were written earlier in the mid-twentieth century.
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