The Faithful Lover
| Author | Massimo Bontempelli |
|---|---|
| Original title | L'amante fedele |
| Translator | Estelle Gilson |
| Language | Italian |
| Publisher | Mondadori |
Publication date | 1953 |
| Publication place | Italy |
Published in English | 2007 |
| Pages | 291 |
The Faithful Lover (Italian: L'amante fedele) is a 1953 short story collection by the Italian writer Massimo Bontempelli. It contains 14 short stories and a novella. The stories were written from 1940 to 1946 and are associated with magical realism. A recurring subject is the process toward self-awareness and validation of life choices.[1][2][3][4]
Host Publications published an English translation by Estelle Gilson in 2007. The English edition omits two stories. The book was awarded the 1953 Strega Prize.[5]
Contents
Stories as they are ordered in the Italian original
- "Nitta"
- "Second-Story Man" (Il ladro Luca)
- "Violets" (La violetta)
- "Pilgrims" (I pellegrini)
- "Pietro and Domenico" (Pietro e Domenico)
- "Encounter" (Convegno)
- "Lights" (Luci)
- "La bella addormentata" (lit. 'The Sleeping Beauty')
- "Empress" (Imperatrice)
- "Octogenarian" (Ottuagenaria)
- "The Faithful Lover" (L'amante fedele)
- "Il segreto" (lit. 'The Secret')
- "Moonwort" (Lunarie)
- "The Rooster" (Gallo)
- Water (L'acqua)
References
- ^ "The Faithful Lover". Publishers Weekly. 1 October 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ Feeney, Tim (2009). "Massimo Bontempelli. The Faithful Lover". Review of Contemporary Fiction. 29 (1): 238–239. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ "Research Guides: Premio Strega Award Winners 1947–1960". Library of Congress. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ "Massimo Bontempelli. L'amante fedele. Milano. Mondatori, 1953. 291 pages. 800l.". Books Abroad. Vol. 28. p. 184.
- ^ Italian Literature since 1900 in English Translation 1929-2016. University of Toronto Press. 2019. p. 726. ISBN 9781487502928.