A DISTANT SUMMER

by Renzo Rosso ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

Smooth, forceful, and Italian--Rosso reminds one of Moravia and Silone, but not quite. Each of the three stories here hinges on a simple premise: human psychological response to inhuman war crimes (A Trip into the Heart of Germany); a youth's revelatory initiation to the irresistible--and detestable--sensuality of an older woman (A Distant Land); and a rich boy's turn to political comradeship as an untasted haven of manhood and self-regard (The Bait). Around these themes the narration revolves in compact, well-spun writing, each manner matched to its subject and atmosphere. The behind-the-scenes wartime perspective in The Bait is especially effective, making Enrico's conflict and doom the most unusual of the selections. Sometimes a little too pat, but still alluring--it is better than average Mediterranean fiction.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1962

Categories: FICTION