Travelling salesman Enrico Gaia decides to play a trick on the conceited ageing litterateur Mario Samigli: he dupes him into thinking that a representative of a prestigious Viennese publishing house wants to commission a German translation of a long-forgotten novel Samigli had written and published at his own expense forty years ago. This leads the old man to reach new heights of self-delusion, spurred on by Gaia's succession of ruses. In this tragicomic study of deception and disappointment, Italo Svevo - who himself was an undiscovered writer until his old age - parodies elements of his own life and offers an insightful psychological portrait of a person who has lost touch with reality.

In this tragicomic study of deception and disappointment, Italo Svevo - who himself was an undiscovered writer until his old age - parodies elements of his own life and offers an insightful psychological portrait of a person who has lost touch with reality.

About the Author
Born in Trieste to a Jewish German father and an Italian mother, Italo Svevo (1861-1928) worked for his father-in-law's paint business for most of his life and was unknown as a writer until the 1923 publication of Zeno's Conscience, which is now considered a classic of Italian fiction.

Reviews
...a wonderful comedy where the resourcefulness of the vain and creative mind is aided by a variety of unlikely circumstances in its desperate effort to reconstruct self-esteem and serenity -- Tim Parks



Book Information
ISBN 9781847497758
Author Italo Svevo
Format Paperback
Page Count 128
Imprint Alma Classics
Publisher Alma Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 127g