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A review by marcio
Os óculos de ouro by Giorgio Bassani, José Colaço Barreiros
4.0
As the reading of The Gold-Rimmed Spectacles (1958) progressed, it seemed to me that it was a preparatory work, a pre-announcement for what would come in 1962 with The garden of Finzi Contini, although the second book of The Novel of Ferrara series does not have the dramatic impact of the third one.
This is the story of Dr. Athos Fadigati who arrived in Ferrara from Venice around 1915. Over the years, the doctor comes to be considered the best in the city, and his clinic becomes a mandatory place for visits by those who belong to "good society", and as "good citizens", they look for a wife for him, because a good man should not stay single. However, rumors start to spread that he is an "invert", but it doesn't take long for that situation to stop worrying the "good citizens" of Ferrara.
If the first part of the story is with a sense of an account, the second one is narrated by Giorgio, Bassani's semi-autobiographical character. Here are the usual themes we'll see closely in The garden of Finzi Contini, how the evolution of fascism in Italy and its ideology change people's attitudes for the worse towards those who are not well-regarded by the regime. Not to mention those who want to take advantage of the opportunities of such a regime to profit. All "good citizens", all above suspicion (sarcastically speaking).
This is where we also notice that what is known is quite different from what is seen. People may know about someone else's sexuality and not give it much importance. But when they see things happening in front of their eyes, the story might be altogether different, mainly in the eyes of such a society of "good citizens". Dr. Fadigati is unable to resist the charms of bad-tempered Eraldo Deliliers, one of Giorgio's colleagues from Bologna University, who mercilessly exploits him. And here is the downfall.
This is the story of Dr. Athos Fadigati who arrived in Ferrara from Venice around 1915. Over the years, the doctor comes to be considered the best in the city, and his clinic becomes a mandatory place for visits by those who belong to "good society", and as "good citizens", they look for a wife for him, because a good man should not stay single. However, rumors start to spread that he is an "invert", but it doesn't take long for that situation to stop worrying the "good citizens" of Ferrara.
If the first part of the story is with a sense of an account, the second one is narrated by Giorgio, Bassani's semi-autobiographical character. Here are the usual themes we'll see closely in The garden of Finzi Contini, how the evolution of fascism in Italy and its ideology change people's attitudes for the worse towards those who are not well-regarded by the regime. Not to mention those who want to take advantage of the opportunities of such a regime to profit. All "good citizens", all above suspicion (sarcastically speaking).
This is where we also notice that what is known is quite different from what is seen. People may know about someone else's sexuality and not give it much importance. But when they see things happening in front of their eyes, the story might be altogether different, mainly in the eyes of such a society of "good citizens". Dr. Fadigati is unable to resist the charms of bad-tempered Eraldo Deliliers, one of Giorgio's colleagues from Bologna University, who mercilessly exploits him. And here is the downfall.