The Little Virtues [Paperback]

Natalia Ginzburg (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Considered among the best writers in contemporary Italy, Ginzburg should appeal to a wide American audience with this collection of essays, in Davis's empathetic translation. There are 11 entries reprinted from Italian journals; the latest, dated 1960, is the title piece, the concern of which is educating children, teaching "not the little virtues but the great ones: not thrift but generosity; not shrewdness but frankness and a love of truth . . . ." Friendships, family life, all kinds of human concerns are subjects that Ginzburg's lyricism makes unforgettable. There is salty wit in some of the essays, particularly the writer's uncharmed eye on things British in "England: Eulogy and Lament." But a deeply affecting essay recalls "Winter in the Abruzzi" where the Ginzburgs were exiles during World War II. The piece ends with a stark, devastating report on the "solitary death" of the author's husband in prison under the Nazis.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

We teach our children ``little virtues'' instead of great ones: thrift, instead of generosity; caution instead of courage; shrewdness, not frankness; tact rather than love; desire for success instead of a desire to be and to know. Such piccole virtu are depicted in these 11 essays. Among the themes: a long winter Ginzburg spent in exile in the Abruzzi; a celebration of ``Worn-Out Shoes''; a portrait of an unnamed poet friend; the ironies of married life; the vocation of being a writer. Written between 1944 and 1962, they were published together in Italy in 1962. Now they have been translated into Englishquite nicelyand bring us Ginzburg's spareness and precision of style, wit and incisiveness of observation, and real wisdom. Highly recommended for general collections. Marica G. Fuchs, Guilford Free Lib., Ct.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 110 pages
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing (October 18, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559700289
• ISBN-13: 978-1559700283
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #712,248 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gem By Any Standard, July 30, 2000

By 

Mary Artino - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Little Virtues (Paperback)

I have personally purchased more of these books than any other human being. I like to keep a stash of them because they are simultaneously poinant, poetic and full of wisdom. I find that the cadence of her speech remains as beautiful in translation. "The Little Virtues" is a timeless book that speaks to the wonders and concerns of today, although the stories it contains were written earlier in the mid-twentieth century.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Le Piccole Virtù; Teach your kids the value of vocation., December 11, 2004

By 

Sanfedisti (Marsala, Sicilia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Little Virtues (Paperback)

This book is a quick-read, but don't let the size fool you. The final two essays in Part Two of this compilation of Natalia Ginzburg's works entitled "Human Relationships" and "The Little Virtues" pose some very interesting ideas.

Natalia Levi Ginzburg married Leone Ginzburg, leader of an antifascist conspirator group during the 1940s. Natalia and her family were forced to confinement in a small area in Abruzzo, which she vividly describes in the first essay, "Winter in the Abruzzi."

The most thought-provoking part of this book for me was not the experience of World War II from the perspective of a Jewish family, but the ideas that Ginzburg proposes with respect to nurturing children.

From now on, I will give this book as a wedding gift in hopes of inspiring critical thought in the very important task of raising children and instilling in them virtue. Of particular emphasis is the concept of money (e.g. How can a wealthy family teach its children the value of money while not restricting them unnecessarily from things that every child should have? Is such a balance possible?)