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Rating: Giuseppe Marotta, in presenting Gli alunni del tempo, gave space to different narratives, dividing his writing into two distinct parts.
The first part is set in a Neapolitan neighborhood, Il pallonetto, among the ground-floor apartments and various characters of an urban proletariat, an imaginary breed created to please the reader who loves Neapolitan paradox.
From the vantage point of these lower dwellings emerges the daily story of don Vito Cacace, an indefatigable reader who interprets the newspapers for the rest of the group; objections are raised by the other characters based on their personal experiences and on the customs that have developed within the group.
The "macchietta/maschera" of the invalid seems drawn from Il principe ed il povero, while the vaudeville gags involve all the characters in a crescendo that unites them and gives the narrative a sense of cohesion; neorealism would find inspiration here for a film in which the greatness of their motivations would drive their actions.
Even love, or supposed love, gives way to economic reasons; questo martimonio non s'ha da fare because the widow receives the pension of the de cuius, arguments which are still relevant today.
The epochal disruptions resulting from international agreements are read with Andreottian sagacity; for example, the attack on NATO could even today fit among the news stories of a prestigious daily newspaper not aligned with the regime.
The second part of the book, titled "Racconti", paints in pastel colors the characters of that Naples set between the late 1950s and early 1960s. Here, the narrative seems limited to fewer voices, and around each story the development is more detailed.
A book for reflecting on how society—not just in Naples—has experienced and is experiencing change; underlying it all is the Leopard-esque adage, "facciamo che tutto cambi affinché tutto rimanga come prima", which in my opinion is one of the guiding threads of the reading.
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