Translated fiction set in Italy

Submitted: 28th March 2024

The House on Via Gemito – Domenico Starnone

A book about trauma across generations

Plenty of Italian flavour

An epic and long read but one with shadows along the way.

Map of locations in The House on Via Gemito

Translated fiction set in Italy

BOARDING PASS INFORMATION

Destination :Italy

Author guide: Domencio Starnone

Genre: translated from Italian

Food and drink to accompany: wine and pasta!

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A novel to transport you to Naples

Map of locations in The House on Via Gemito

I feel I should start this review with two things – the locations as the book opens are grim (this is wartime Italy but still) and that the book seems to be written in an odd order. One of the characters confusion is reflected this way but just be prepared.

What I loved is the smooth and brilliant translation by Oonagh Stransky who weaves in cultural nuances and phrases so there’s no Italian dictionary in the book. This made reading much more fluid and pleasurable.

The plot centres around Mimi and his unhappy childhood. His mother and father were not good parents or good people it seemed. They all lived in a house on Via Gemito, the title of the book) I fear that as Mimi grows up, he is constantly dragged down by his memories and experiences of his family at that house. What does he remember and what really happened? There is a lot of confusion in this book and that although sometimes I was also confused, I felt I was in Mimi’s mind and soul.

Not a fan of the father Federi. He sounds awful. He was a waste of space in many ways and evil too as he beat his wife. I realise he was abused by his own father in turn so it just shows how generational trauma happens.

This book is a brainstorm, a tsunami of ideas, thoughts and regret. I felt my reading of it taught me many things and showed me a lot about Italy and life at that time. Sadly I felt depressed at the end yet happy that this was in a book and that it’s not real. It could be though and that’s the point.

Don’t read if feeling depressed but do read it you want a challenge and an insight into some fascinating characters and family dynamics.