The controversial definitions

Stanlio

19 oct 17

Gabriel García Márquez — La mala ora | DeRank™: 2,08

Leaving home to go to work, César Montero finds a sheet of paper with a satire nailed to his front door. He goes to the musician Pastor's house and shoots him in cold blood, slaughtering him in front of his mother's eyes. The mayor arrests him, then in a spur of legalism entrusts the investigation into the murder to Judge Arcadio, whose predecessor was slaughtered after making it clear that he did not want rigging in the facade elections organized by the regime... (wiki) more

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Stanlio

19 oct 17

Gabriel García Márquez — Nessuno scrive al colonnello | DeRank™: 0,00

Compared to the previous stories, in this novel, naturalism is tempered by a cynical humor and the proliferation of a series of symbols such as the rooster, the waiting for the mail, and hunger. The rooster, in particular, as a reminder of the deceased son and a vehicle of solidarity among the villagers, symbolizes the redemption of a continent, Latin America, that will never happen. (wiki) more

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Stanlio

19 oct 17

Gabriel García Márquez — Foglie morte | DeRank™: 0,00

The novel is narrated from three alternating perspectives: thirty-year-old Isabel, her nine-year-old son, and her father, a former colonel of the liberal army during the thousand days' war. The story unfolds in a single day, September 12, 1928, when the lifeless body of a doctor whose name no one knows is discovered; he has hanged himself in the house where he has lived a hermit's life for years. In Macondo, everyone has hated him since ten years earlier, when he refused to offer aid to the wounded during the crackdown on popular uprisings; from that moment, he has lived surrounded by general hatred, which does not even wane in the face of death. (wiki) more

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Stanlio

19 oct 17

Gabriel García Márquez — Cronaca di una morte annunciata | DeRank™: 0,00

"On the day they were to kill him, Santiago Nasar got up at 5:30 in the morning to await the arrival of the boat carrying the bishop?" (Crónica de una muerte anunciada)

The story is based on a true event that took place in a small town in Colombia, which Márquez drew inspiration from thirty years later to write the novel. more

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Stanlio

19 oct 17

Carlo Fruttero, Massimo Gramellini — La Patria, bene o male Almanacco essenziale dell'Italia unita in 150 date | DeRank™: 0,00

The duo Fruttero-Gramellini retraces, with a joint effort, the major events in Italian history, from the establishment of Parliament to the world wars, from the birth of democracy to the events of our days, involving the personalities—politicians, intellectuals, artists, and scientists—who have contributed to making our country great. The result is a mosaic that reveals a different history of Italy, often more interesting than the one that has been told, somewhat monotonously, in school. By recovering dates and events sometimes forgotten and featuring a brilliant and ironic writing style, the book offers the public a fascinating and entertaining read of the 150 years of our National Unity. (lafeltrinelli.it) more

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Stanlio

19 oct 17

Erich Fromm — Avere o essere? | DeRank™: 0,00

Man, Fromm observes, is like a vessel that expands as it is filled, so that it will never be full (p.93). Our ego is at the foundation of our sense of identity and encompasses both actual qualities (body, possessions, cognition) and fictitious ones (images of ourselves, p.100). The character structure of an individual constitutes their true being, while their behavior can only be a mask, an appearance (p.130). Having and being are potentials of human nature: at the existential basis of having lies a biological factor, the drive for survival (p.134), while at the existential basis of being there is the need to overcome one's isolation, which is a specific condition of human existence. The deciding factor regarding which mode will prevail for the majority is the social structure with its norms and values (p.141). more

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Stanlio

19 oct 17

Erich Fromm — L'arte di amare | DeRank™: 0,00

In this essay, published in 1957, the German philosopher intends to show how love is a true art form and, as such, requires discipline, concentration, patience, supreme interest, and humility. It is not a "manual" as the author himself specifies in the prologue, but a demonstration of how every attempt to love is doomed to failure without an active development of one's personality, and there can be no love without the ability to love one's neighbor with faith, humility, and courage. Throughout the work, the sociologist analyzes "authentic" love, frequently referencing Greek mythology and the Old Testament; he also describes its various deviations and substitutes such as sadism and masochism. The work includes several critiques of Sigmund Freud and his patriarchal conception of sex. (wikipedia) more

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Stanlio

19 oct 17

Jonathan Franzen — La ventisettesima città | DeRank™: 0,00

St. Louis, Missouri, is a city paralyzed by stagnation and apathy, and the only warning that manages to shake it from its slumber is the arrival of the new police chief, S. Jammu, an Indian from Bombay.
Jammu is young, charismatic, and as soon as she takes office, she begins to realize that the most prominent citizens of St. Louis are involved in a gigantic political-economic intrigue.
So she decides to use Indian agents whom she absolutely trusts to rummage through the most hidden corners of their existence.
Little does she know that this will force her to rummage through her own. more

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Stanlio

19 oct 17

Jonathan Franzen — Le correzioni | DeRank™: 0,00

I have never really thought in terms of plot, but rather of the connection between stories and characters. For each of the main characters, and for each of the main parts of the book, I have strived to respect the classic unities of place, time, and action. I wanted to find simple problems, simple situations – a man trying to prove to his wife that he isn’t depressed; a woman who loves to have fun embarking on a luxury cruise with a husband who shows intermittent signs of dementia – and then to inhabit them as broadly as possible.

Jonathan Franzen, from an interview with «The New Yorker» 24/12/2001 more

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Stanlio

19 oct 17

Jonathan Franzen — Forte movimento | DeRank™: 0,00

Published in 1992 and set in 1987, it is a novel that, embracing postmodern techniques, approaches hysterical realism, becoming an "ecocritical" commentary on the lifestyle of contemporary society, especially that of the made in USA.

Through long descriptions, interrupted by elements of everyday life, such as the advertisements for the "Honda dealership in Schaumburg," famous snippets from the Clash, and the Red Sox games, Franzen describes the catastrophic events involving a chemical industry, the Sweeting-Aldren Industries, and Boston, as well as the characters in the book.
(cit. from wiki) more

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perfect element

19 oct 17

Eric Clapton | DeRank™: 4,22

In my opinion, the best has been expressed in 'The pros and cons' by Waters. more

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R13571047

19 oct 17

Immolation — Here in After | DeRank™: 0,00

The most suffocating, oppressive, and gloomy death metal album ever conceived in the history of death metal. An authentic marvel that predated the strokes of genius in "Obscura" by Gorguts. more

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dsalva

18 oct 17

Eric Clapton — One More Car, One More Rider | DeRank™: 0,00

They want to pass it off as a simple "homework," just to put something out there... but it's actually a nice live performance; the only flaw is the not-so-memorable setlist of the first part. more