Customer Reviews

Dago Red

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This is my first John Fante book. Little did I know the copy I checked out from Northern Illinois University is a rare first edition. One of the five copies available through Amazon is signed by Fante and sells for $2,000. The cheapest copy is $180. No matter. I don't collect books.

The woodcut drawings by Valenti Angelo are beautiful, as is the feel of the thick pages. The 13 short stories revolve around a Catholic Italian family living in or near Denver. Fante's style is very simple and direct. Some of his phrasings -- "Oh, boy!" -- have a dated 1930s charm.

The childhood stories, like "The Road to Hell" (which describes the spiritual battle of a good Catholic boy who steals a $5 baseball glove) are pithy, a little too aw-shucks and sincere, but well-written. The last few stories feature adults and are the best in the book -- "Odyssey of a Wop," "Home, Sweet Home," "The Wrath of God," and "Hail Mary" all give a glimpse into Italian-American family and community life and into the consciousness of a fiery young man, good at sports, angry at his father, and struggling to make a name for himself.

I have no doubt I'll read more of Fante. I doubt my next selection will be a rare first edition.

I first heard about Fante through Charles Bukowski, who was a fan and even wrote a poem about Fante meeting William Faulkner. I met my friend George the other day and he asked me what I was reading. When I told him Fante he said Fante introduced him to Bukowski.

That's kind of nice, two authors of two generations, mutual friends nonetheless, steer their fans to each other.