Italian Stories (American Literature (Dalkey Archive)) [Paperback]

Joseph Papaleo (Author)

Book Description

Series: American Literature (Dalkey Archive) | Publication Date: January 2002

Paying homage to the Italian-American experience, ITALIAN STORIES celebrates an Italian neighbourhood in the Bronx during the 1930s and '40s, and mourns the loss of this ethnic identity with the migration of subsequent generations to the suburbs. With stories that are both melancholy and comic, Papaleo here explores the contradictory desires of assimilation: his characters want to live the life of the average American while maintaining a strong link to their rich heritage. In addition, Papaleo rails against the damaging stereotypes of Italian-Americans propagated by the media in movies and television.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Where are we, then?" is the question posed by Michael Joseph Spinelli, the narrator of one of the loosely connected stories in Papaleo's fourth book. A self-described wanderer in life following a stint during WWII and then college, Spinelli tries to make some sense of his Italian-American heritage: a father whose success in the raincoat business moved the family from the Bronx to Scarsdale, a traditional mother in charge of the cooking and shopping, an older brother who drives a truck for a living. Moving roughly chronologically, the earlier stories are set in a 1940s Bronx neighborhood of Italian immigrants. A number of tales featuring Johnny Mauro as a child and teen are subtly evocative, describing his relationship with parents from the Old World who are making a place for themselves in New York while they contend with friends and relatives who are less able (or willing) to assimilate. After the war, various male characters ponder the daily minutiae of business dealings, travels, marriages and the deaths of parents. While the portrayal of ethnic unease and adjustment is realistic, it becomes difficult to keep track of characters who are similar (many of the men are prone to lengthy business conversations and are crudely breast-obsessed) or make repeat appearances. The prologue issues an amusing warning against expecting stereotypes ("I forgive you your Chef Boyardee, your worship of gangsters you think are my brothers"), which is all to the good, but judicious honing would have sharpened the sprawl of this collection, deepened its quiet homage to Italian-Americans and suggested some answers to Spinelli's big question.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Papaleo's appealing stories of an Italian community in the Bronx of the 1930s and 1940s highlight the universality of his characters' experiences, which could just as well take place in Armenian, Irish, or other ethnic communities in America. Many of these stories are about the loss of the immigrant community and its traditions as new generations become more Americanized and move out of the neighborhood. In "Homes and Rooms," Lucky returns from Rome, where his job often takes him, to find that his best friend, Jack, has died without Lucky's knowing about it. Lucky thinks about Jack and his getting married and having a family, "unable to try anything else while Lucky got the international job and got away to Europe." Lucky's ambivalence about the old ways vs. his more sophisticated ones tells the story of a community disintegrating. As Papaleo (All the Comforts, Out of Place) says in the prolog, "There will be no deceit or trickery in this volume and no plot, character, conflict. Just my screaming voice telling you the truth." Recommended for all venues. Patricia Gulian, South Portland, ME

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 295 pages
• Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press; 1 edition (January 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564783065
• ISBN-13: 978-1564783066
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,337,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PURE DELIGHT!, February 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Italian Stories (American Literature (Dalkey Archive)) (Paperback)

Italian Stories is a must read for anyone with the experience or the curiousity of living with stereotypes. Papaleo has very eloquently presented the challenges and issues Italian-Americans have faced for so long. It is a pure delight to read these extraordinarily well written stories which leave you wanting more when you are finished. Let's hope there is more to follow from him!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Italian Stories, January 21, 2002

By 

Tonie Piazza (florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Italian Stories (American Literature (Dalkey Archive)) (Paperback)

Joe Papaleo's voice is loud and clear. The struggling ethnic attempting to dispel the mafia image. At a time when the Soprano's has replaced the Godfather, the italo-americans need this reality. We are not all connected, spaghetti eating, greasy monkeys. Papaleo tells it like it is. He is articulate and breathes a breath of fresh air into the otherwise cigar smoking, garlic breath of the italo-american.