That our tastes didn’t match is well known, but you can’t give Fante a two. In my opinion, you’re wrong to judge an author by one book, and the impression you give is that. You started with the wrong novel, that’s all. This one, for example, should be read after the Bandini tetralogy; otherwise, it risks - as happened to you - making the book seem cheesy and the author seem pretentious. The problem is that Fante is a very complicated author, hidden under plots that are, in quotation marks, banal. I recommend reading "La strada per Los Angeles," which I believe is his masterpiece along with "Chiedi alla polvere." Then, well, tastes are tastes, but Fante was a precursor of the beat generation, and the dialogues that you find absurd are extraordinary because they play with the absurdity in everyday life.
Don't get mad. I'll try to follow Fante's writings chronologically. But as I wrote, nothing is available in used bookstores. The vote is not for John Fante, but for the book. I knew someone wouldn't digest my comment. I can't wait to meet my brother-in-law and his friend Aldo, true fans of JF, to have a discussion. Maybe I'll "steal" "Le strade di LA" from them. Regards from the Super-Ficiale.
Well, I see you’re from Turin… or at least, it seems you’ve lived there. Are you still living there? If so, I had my eye on the whole tetralogy (maybe "Wait for Spring, Bandini!" was missing!) at one of those stalls under the porticoes of Via Po. It might have been taken, or maybe not. I already had it, but I kicked myself because for 3-4 books, it was quite a bargain. Not least because they were by Fante.
Look, get Dago Red, go to any literature department and borrow it; it’s a collection of stories that’s practically autobiographical, from which you’ll be able to understand if Fante is the writer for you or not. I hope you give him another chance because he deserves it. This time I won’t vote and I won’t insult you.
If you didn't like it, it's fair to give it a low rating; it's much more sincere than blindly idolizing the big names. Every great writer has made missteps or written books that are not as good as others: I haven't read this one and it could be average or even below average, why not? But Fante, with his robust, tragicomic, and passionate writing style, "created" many of the great American writers who would come after him. Aside from his importance, aside from the fact that it's Fante, if you have time, try something else of his: definitely "Ask the Dust," which is perfect in its own way, but also something delightful (and late) like "West of Rome," and especially his masterpiece in my opinion: "The Brotherhood of the Grape."
I don't insult you either. Full Of Life is a book that bursts with life from every word; perhaps you are too young to appreciate the monotonous routine of two people waiting for an arriving child... Fante becoming a father and Fante’s father, a game in which the mirror is the wife... a book written sixty years ago that shows not the slightest sign of aging... it is a book "full of life" or, if you prefer, about life... pick it up again in twenty years and you will see it in a whole new light.
I join those who do not condemn you. One of my favorite books is "The Brotherhood of Chianti," but "Ask the Dust" is also a great novel. In the former, I found myself completely, sharing the same relationship with my father, torn between hate and love. Of course, every author is subjective... like Izzo, who completely captivated me. I don't know... try reading one of those I mentioned, but if it doesn’t grab you, give up.
I just read it a couple of weeks ago. I’m a big fan of Fante, really appreciating his writing style and his world. However, I found this book rather disappointing and not comparable to his peaks (Ask the Dust, The Brotherhood of the Grape, The Road to Los Angeles). The only thing I save is the journey from San Juan to Los Angeles with the father, a very well-crafted and characterized character. The rest feels more like an idea... a draft of a more complete story that could have been and wasn’t.
So far I've read "Wait for Spring, Bandini!" and "Ask the Dust," on the recommendation of a dear friend who loves JF very much. I also have "The Brotherhood of the Grape," which has been waiting to be read for a long time. I'm sorry you were disappointed; I join others in suggesting that you give Fante at least one more chance.
JF has a very unique style that he has always adhered to; he captivated me right from the start, especially after I read how Bukowski described him, who famously stated, "Fante was my God"...
Talkin' Meat
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8 dec 12I knew someone wouldn't digest my comment. I can't wait to meet my brother-in-law and his friend Aldo, true fans of JF, to have a discussion. Maybe I'll "steal" "Le strade di LA" from them.
Regards from the Super-Ficiale.
Talkin' Meat
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