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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
sad
medium-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
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Dying on this hill, Italian Great Gatsby
Rome was our city. She tolerated us, flattered us, and even when I ended up realizing that in spite of the sporadic work, the weeks when I went hungry...I couldn't live anywhere else.
Last Summer in the City
Gianfranco Calligarich
•
My daughter has been raving about this book on our Generations Podcast, so when I needed an audiobook the other day, I decided to check Hoopla. Sure enough, there it was. The British narration was excellent and pulled me right in, but it was the descriptions of the Eternal City that kept me listening almost nonstop.
•
Last Summer in the City was originally published in 1973 in Italy and fell in and out of print until being re-released by FSG Books in 2021. It shares many of the characteristics of the generation novels.
•
Leo Gazarra is Milanese by birth but spending a summer in Rome - the author's commentary about what a dull city Milan is when compared to Rome is actually hilarious and so accurate . Leo's existence runs between lingering in bars, hanging out with friends and referring to literature as a way to impress rather than appreciate- he is just drifting. In many ways this also has a Sally Rooney vibe - when a character just can't get out of their own way. That said, there are lots of literary nods and passages about reading that kept me pulling me along.
•
I love books that bring cities to life and make them a character - this is one of the better. In fact, I would have loved more about Rome and less about Leo's wanderlust. He's not a very likable character and the sections about his attempts at relationships had me wanting Calligarich to go back to his city descriptions. When he is talking about Rome you can literally smell the coffee, hear the traffic and feel the summer heat. And the number of references to Alfa Romeo's could be a drinking game - it's easily once a page, but if you've ever walked a Roman street it felt right.
•
This is a great summer novel. It has all the vibes of a lost generation book with an Italian setting and a more modern plot. And the audio is excellent. 3.5 may seem low but I found Leo such a yucky character, I was just all about the setting.
Last Summer in the City
Gianfranco Calligarich
•
My daughter has been raving about this book on our Generations Podcast, so when I needed an audiobook the other day, I decided to check Hoopla. Sure enough, there it was. The British narration was excellent and pulled me right in, but it was the descriptions of the Eternal City that kept me listening almost nonstop.
•
Last Summer in the City was originally published in 1973 in Italy and fell in and out of print until being re-released by FSG Books in 2021. It shares many of the characteristics of the generation novels.
•
Leo Gazarra is Milanese by birth but spending a summer in Rome - the author's commentary about what a dull city Milan is when compared to Rome is actually hilarious and so accurate . Leo's existence runs between lingering in bars, hanging out with friends and referring to literature as a way to impress rather than appreciate- he is just drifting. In many ways this also has a Sally Rooney vibe - when a character just can't get out of their own way. That said, there are lots of literary nods and passages about reading that kept me pulling me along.
•
I love books that bring cities to life and make them a character - this is one of the better. In fact, I would have loved more about Rome and less about Leo's wanderlust. He's not a very likable character and the sections about his attempts at relationships had me wanting Calligarich to go back to his city descriptions. When he is talking about Rome you can literally smell the coffee, hear the traffic and feel the summer heat. And the number of references to Alfa Romeo's could be a drinking game - it's easily once a page, but if you've ever walked a Roman street it felt right.
•
This is a great summer novel. It has all the vibes of a lost generation book with an Italian setting and a more modern plot. And the audio is excellent. 3.5 may seem low but I found Leo such a yucky character, I was just all about the setting.
reflective
sad
slow-paced
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: Alcoholism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Jag har alltid lite svårt för den tungsinta, snygga mannen och den galna, oberäkneliga kvinnan och deras kärlekskamp, men boken innehåller en del fina bilder och jag gillar hur den är skriven.
surprised this isn't a more common book that pretentious literary sadboys urge you to read
overall cool cover, enjoyed the read but also rolled my eyes at the main character a lot but also enjoyed the scenery and writing style
overall cool cover, enjoyed the read but also rolled my eyes at the main character a lot but also enjoyed the scenery and writing style
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes