West of Rome's two novellas, "My Dog Stupid" and "The Orgy," fulfill the promise of their rousing titles. The latter novella opens with virtuoso description: "His name was Frank Gagliano, and he did not believe in God. He was that most singular and startling craftsman of the building trade-a left-handed bricklayer. Like my father, Frank came from Torcella Peligna, a cliff-hugging town in the Abruzzi. Lean as a spider, he wore a leather cap and puttees the year around, and he was so bowlegged a dog could lope between his knees without touching them."
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Book Description
--This text refers to the
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
John Fante began writing in 1929 and published his first short story in 1932. His first novel, Wait Until Spring, Bandini, was published in 1938 and was the first of his Arturo Bandini series of novels, which also include The Road to Los Angeles and Ask the Dust. A prolific screenwriter, he was stricken with diabetes in 1955. Complications from the disease brought about his blindness in 1978 and, within two years, the amputation of both legs. He continued to write by dictation to his wife, Joyce, and published Dreams from Bunker Hill, the final installment of the Arturo Bandini series, in 1982. He died on May 8, 1983, at the age of seventy-four.
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a really great read,
This review is from: West of Rome (Paperback)
John Fante was a great writer. I was introduced to his books through Charles Bukowski. I have read most of his available works. West of Rome is a great book. It contains two novellas. The first one My Dog Stupid is a glorious tale. Fante really captures the feeling of Italian Americans in the early part of the 20th Century. Some may not like the ethnicity but to me it lends a heartrending realism to the stories. The reader will probably feel the emotions of the characters as they tackle life problems. (I almost feel like Bill Clinton here: I feel your pain, man) The story revolves around a family with kids finally grown and setting out for life and their parents adapting to the changes. The dog that enters into their life becomes a motif for the changes in their world. It is a beautiful tale. The second story The Orgy is not as good but it is still classic Fante. This is a grossly underrated writer.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fante's No. 2 Blend,
By
This review is from: West of Rome (Paperback)
After reading the classic tale of Arturo Bandini's struggle against the world in "Ask the Dust," I continued to buy Fante novel after Fante novel hoping to find that bellicose charm and straight forward prose that made me laugh out loud. However, 1933 was a Bad Year, Full of Life and Dreams of Bunker Hill did't quite make the cuts. As I read these novels I felt Fante somehow wasn't up to the task of telling the tale all the way through. There wasn't that Bandiniesque immediacy, the unique voice frought with passion and toughness. Well, the first novella in this two novella collection, "My Dog Stupid", has that Ask the Dust magic. Bandini By the Tail. Its Bandini against big dogs, sons in laws, uptight Hollywood lawyers and thankless children. But it isn't without it's heart-warming qualities that shows Fante has mellowed with age like a fine port without losing any of his potency. Always good for a laugh, a smile, a "Hurrah", Fante holds a special place in the American canon. I once said to my wife Graham Greene can write and plot circles around Fante, but if what Emerson said is true that "character is higher than intellect", then no wonder Fante is the guy you want to polish off a bottle with.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"mon chien stupide",
By A Customer
This review is from: West of Rome (Hardcover)
"Mon chien stupide" means : my stupid dog, is the french title of this book. I loved this book because you really undersand the core of the story at the last page. If you think that you ruined your life: read this book...
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