The Wine of Youth
By John Fante
Book Reporter: Joelman
This book is a compilation of short stories (likely with an autobiographical thread) that take place during Fante's youth as an Italian American growing up in Colorado. Fante works where many themes converge: growing up Catholic & Italian, dealing with dysfunctional parents, alcoholism, and poverty. These common themes thread together the different stories like familiar snapshots. Growing up Catholic is the dominant theme, and entire stories are dedicated to the sacraments - particularly the sacrament of reconciliation.
Fante does an outstanding job of re-creating the world of his youth where he and his brothers share a bed and must bring in coal for their mother each morning. This is a world where our hero is dominated by the nuns who consistently regard our hero with disdain. Our hero's father, Guido, a mason, goes on multi-day benders while his mother locks herself in her room to cry the days away. It is a sad and cold world that shows what poverty can do to a family and the resolve that it often instills in its children - to get the hell out and never look back.
Bottom Line: This is a great book to read if you are a Fante fan or someone that grew up Catholic or around Catholocism.
Recommendation: READ
By John Fante
Book Reporter: Joelman
This book is a compilation of short stories (likely with an autobiographical thread) that take place during Fante's youth as an Italian American growing up in Colorado. Fante works where many themes converge: growing up Catholic & Italian, dealing with dysfunctional parents, alcoholism, and poverty. These common themes thread together the different stories like familiar snapshots. Growing up Catholic is the dominant theme, and entire stories are dedicated to the sacraments - particularly the sacrament of reconciliation.
Fante does an outstanding job of re-creating the world of his youth where he and his brothers share a bed and must bring in coal for their mother each morning. This is a world where our hero is dominated by the nuns who consistently regard our hero with disdain. Our hero's father, Guido, a mason, goes on multi-day benders while his mother locks herself in her room to cry the days away. It is a sad and cold world that shows what poverty can do to a family and the resolve that it often instills in its children - to get the hell out and never look back.
Bottom Line: This is a great book to read if you are a Fante fan or someone that grew up Catholic or around Catholocism.
Recommendation: READ
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