a nutshell: told by a young solitary boy who is essentially raising himself on the isolated Neapolitan island of Procida, this is a story of confused adoration and imagination
a line: “If it weren’t for women, existence would be eternal youth, a garden!”
an image: after the affection-starved Arturo observes N kissing her baby son, everything seemed to be kissing – boats, sea & island, air & leaves, sheep & earth
a thought: Arturo’s father leads a mysterious life – one that would perhaps be infinitely simpler if he were to have lived in the 21st century; the book was published in 1957
a fact: this NYT article is a fascinating insight into Morante’s life
want to read Arturo’s Island? visit here
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