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riminireads's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Some beautiful writing. Other parts definitely showed their age and/or were lost in translation (the book was first published in Italian in 1970). My main takeaway from this is that people in their 20s don't get to do nothing anymore. I can't remember the last time I was genuinely bored (or had the luxury and time to do so). Walking around the city, heading to the local bar and knowing someone will be there, complicated love affairs, randomly deciding to drive to the coast, spending the day reading, zero care for work, no real responsibilities. This is the 20s I should be having!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Alcoholism, and Suicide
Minor: Homophobia
jayisreading's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0
I can see why André Aciman wrote the foreword for Calligarich’s book— It’s not only because it’s set in Italy; it’s the writing style and atmosphere (along with all the literary references), the way the characters idly wander and sit with their loneliness that made me wonder to what extent Calligarich (and perhaps similar Italian authors) have influenced Aciman. In his foreword, Aciman writes:
Rome is the lingering, glamorous patina that blinds the characters of Last Summer in the City to the very real fact that they are seriously damaged and marooned.
I think this is a good sentence that makes clear what you’ll find in Calligarich’s novel. Which takes me to the actual novel—
I really did like the way Calligarich lingered, whether it be on moments, through the streets of Rome, or between characters. It almost felt as though you were watching a 1970s Italian film. Rome is a character, in a way, considering the way the characters reacted to the city throughout this novel. Early on in the novel, this is pretty well established, presenting Rome as a woman, with whom “[t]here can be no half measures with her, either she’s the love of your life or you have to leave her, because that’s what the tender beast demands, to be loved.”
It’s a novel in which you observe the protagonist drift and spiral. It’s honestly a rather depressing book, despite having somewhat of a lackadaisical air to it. The emotional delivery was well done, and the translator seems to have succeeded in getting this across.
It’s clear this book is dated in the way Calligarich approaches mental illness (flippantly), female characters (flattened and objectified), and male characters (boys’ club energy along with a dash of chauvinism). The world was very rose-tinted, certainly helped by the lyrical writing. It did get tiring though. Oh, and there was a good helping of blatant homophobia that was entirely unnecessary that really threw me off.
All-in-all, though, it was interesting to pick this book up, especially considering that I’ve barely touched Italian literature (specifically anything dated after the sixteenth century, welp). I’d be curious to read more modern literary works from Italy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Homophobia
ruby_mae_read's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Mental illness
erikazn's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
whatrachelread's review
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I'm still trying to decide how I feel about this one. On the one hand, it feels like a classic- there are some truly standout lines and I kept reaching for my journal to copy them down as I was reading. The dialogue is so smart and the prose is so smooth.
On the other hand, it never quite reached the emotional pitch that I was anticipating. Maybe that's just a statement on how disaffected Leo already is when we meet him and maybe I need more historical context to really understand what Calligarich is aiming for here. Overall, I enjoyed the experience and I'd absolutely recommend it, but the ending just didn't fit the tone of the rest of the book, in my opinion.
On the other hand, it never quite reached the emotional pitch that I was anticipating. Maybe that's just a statement on how disaffected Leo already is when we meet him and maybe I need more historical context to really understand what Calligarich is aiming for here. Overall, I enjoyed the experience and I'd absolutely recommend it, but the ending just didn't fit the tone of the rest of the book, in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Alcoholism
chaotic_reading's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Rome was our city, she tolerated us, flattered us…I wouldn’t live anywhere else…there can be no half measures with her, because that’s what the tender beast demands, to be loved…if she’s loved, she’ll give herself to you whichever way you want her.”
Last Summer in the City by Gianfranco Calligarich is a character-driven narrative about Leo Gazarra and his love-affair with the city of Rome.
First published in 1973, Last Summer in the City eventually became an Italian classic - and it’s easy to see why. Calligarich writes perfectly the vibe of the famous Italian saying ‘dolce far niete’. This book reads like a love-letter to the city of Rome and an exploration of the human psyche and habits.
As a character, Leo is interesting to read about because he’s living in a constant state of limbo - nothing in his life is permanent. This makes his behaviour unstable and the plot of the story chaotic. I think this characterization perfectly incapsulates the unpredictability of life in general and society’s shared delusion that anything is 100% guaranteed.
Definitely one of my fav books this year - 5✨ read, and I will also be adding the publishing house FSG to my list of publishers I trust.
Last Summer in the City by Gianfranco Calligarich is a character-driven narrative about Leo Gazarra and his love-affair with the city of Rome.
First published in 1973, Last Summer in the City eventually became an Italian classic - and it’s easy to see why. Calligarich writes perfectly the vibe of the famous Italian saying ‘dolce far niete’. This book reads like a love-letter to the city of Rome and an exploration of the human psyche and habits.
As a character, Leo is interesting to read about because he’s living in a constant state of limbo - nothing in his life is permanent. This makes his behaviour unstable and the plot of the story chaotic. I think this characterization perfectly incapsulates the unpredictability of life in general and society’s shared delusion that anything is 100% guaranteed.
Definitely one of my fav books this year - 5✨ read, and I will also be adding the publishing house FSG to my list of publishers I trust.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide, Drug use, and Alcoholism
sirierika's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Suicide
lorenzo's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Alcoholism
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