West of Rome [Paperback]

John Fante (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Black Sparrow (1995)
• ASIN: B000KT8CFQ
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a really great read, March 19, 2000

By 

George Schaefer - See all my reviews

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, June 2, 2004

By 

cortright Mcmeel (baltimore, md United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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", January 26, 1999

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...