"Nuove 'Paesane'" by Luigi Capuana is a collection of short stories written in the late 19th century. The book delves into the lives of various characters in the Sicilian countryside, exploring themes of family, social class, and human relationships. Among the principal characters introduced is don Pietro-Paolo Zingàli, the barone of Fontane Asciutte, who is embroiled in a long-standing legal dispute that has caused friction within his family. The opening of "Nuove
'Paesane'" introduces the reader to don Emanuele Cerrotta, a legal procurator in Catania, as he prepares for the day in his office. The main character, barone Zingàli, enters with a sense of desperation due to the ongoing legal battles that have consumed him, leading to fragmentation in his family. As his relationship with his wife and children deteriorates under the weight of financial strain and legal stress, we witness a vivid portrayal of their domestic strife against the backdrop of the baron's fixation on reclaiming lost family fortunes. The narrative sets a rich, immersive atmosphere full of tension and complexity, hinting at the profound emotional and social issues that will unfold throughout the collection. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Il Barone di Fontane Asciutte -- Un Tipo -- Il Mulo di Rosa -- Un Eccentrico -- Il Fascio del Cavaliere -- Le verginelle -- Donna Stràula -- Zi' Gamella -- La casa nuova.
Credits
E-text prepared by Carlo Traverso, Claudio Paganelli, Barbara Magni, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (http://archive.org)
Reading Level
Reading ease score: 55.1 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.