The House by the Medlar Tree

Jacket Description/Back: Three generations of fishermen conduct an epic struggle against nature, fate, and society in this moving tale by acclaimed realist writer Giovanni Verga. Written in 1881 and set in the Sicilian village of Aci Trezza during the 1860s, the novel recounts an impoverished family's attempts to pay off a crushing debt, to reclaim their lost boat and ancestral home, and to reunite their scattered clan. This groundbreaking work of fiction offers a revealing look at the social and political climate in post-revolutionary Italy. Verga combines lyrical prose and inspiring social commentary to chronicle the poverty suffered by provincial Sicilian communities after Garibaldi's conquest. Rich in character and starkly honest, "The House by the Medlar Tree "offers a life-affirming story of misfortunes endured with humor and courage. Dover (2015) republication of the edition originally published by Grove Press, New York, 1953. See every Dover book in print atwww.doverpublications.comBiographical Note: Italian realist writer Giovanni Carmelo Verga (1840-1922) is best known for depictions of life in his native Sicily. He adapted his short story "Cavalleria Rusticana" ("Rustic Chivalry") for the theater, and the work later served as the basis for Mascagni's opera. Publisher Marketing: Three generations of fishermen conduct an epic struggle against nature, fate, and society in this moving tale by acclaimed realist writer Giovanni Verga. Written in 1881 and set in the Sicilian village of Aci Trezza during the 1860s, the novel recounts an impoverished family's attempts to pay off a crushing debt, to reclaim their lost boat and ancestral home, and to reunite their scattered clan. This groundbreaking work of fiction offers a revealing look at the social and political climate in post-revolutionary Italy. Verga combines lyrical prose and inspiring social commentary to chronicle the poverty suffered by provincial Sicilian communities after Garibaldi's conquest. Rich in character and starkly honest, "The House by the Medlar Tree "offers a life-affirming story of misfortunes endured with humor and courage.

Contributor Bio:  Verga, Giovanni Giovanni Verga (1840-1922) wrote novels, short stories and the play Cavalleria Rusticana. He is generally considered to be Italy's greatest novelist.