A man, believed to be dead by his fellow citizens, his wife, and all of his acquaintances, flees in search of creating a new life under a false name.

He leaves behind the life he once knew, filled with the expectations and judgments of others. With a new identity, he hopes to start afresh, free from the burdens and memories that haunted him.

As he embarks on this journey, he faces numerous challenges and obstacles. He must learn to adapt to a new environment, make new friends, and build a new career.

Along the way, he discovers that starting over is not as easy as he thought. He struggles with feelings of guilt and loneliness, and often questions whether he made the right decision.

However, despite the difficulties, he perseveres, determined to create a better life for himself. [Commento del 1988. Evidentemente, non avevo molta voglia di commentare! :)]

This is a very good read. Although there are some slow moments, it maintains its fluency.

It is not a book that is concerned with the plausibility of its plot. On the contrary, it boasts of the absurdity from which it starts to give voice to the author's concern: "The absurdities of life do not need to seem plausible because they are true; on the contrary, those of art, in order to seem true, need to be plausible. And thus, being plausible, they cease to be absurd."

The great problem that Pirandello seeks to hit upon is in that paragraph. For he takes the time to depict an absurd story insofar as it is implausible, reaffirming that his "absurd factor" does not ruin the content of art. On the contrary, it provides a new level of depth.

It is no coincidence that with works like "Six Characters in Search of an Author", Pirandello prepares a solid ground for the theater of the absurd and his literary production in general.

His exploration of the absurd challenges our traditional notions of truth and plausibility in art, opening up new avenues for creative expression and intellectual reflection.

Overall, this work offers a thought-provoking and engaging experience that invites readers to question and reevaluate their understanding of the relationship between life and art.

This much cutting or I don't know what they call it was bad for reading. I suffered pain while reading and half of the pleasure of reading was lost like this ===)))).

In general, it was really a good story. It had enough attractiveness. Its ending was also interesting. But overall, the descriptions of the story were not so personally enjoyable for me that I wanted to give a higher score. Also, it partly came back to the fact that reading it coincided with reading several books and the focus was more on the other books.

Maybe if I had read this story alone without any distractions, I would have had a different perception and might have given it a higher evaluation. However, based on my current experience, I can only say that it was an okay story with some good aspects but also some不足之处.

I hope that in the future, when I have the opportunity to read this story again in a more conducive environment, I will be able to fully appreciate its charm and value.

Per consolarmi, il signor Anselmo Paleari mi volle dimostrare con un lungo ragionamento che il bujo era immaginario.

E mi svolse, dico, una sua concezione filosofica, speciosissima, che si potrebbe forse chiamare lanterninosofia.

[...]

E il signor Anselmo, seguitando, mi dimostrava che, per nostra disgrazia, noi non siamo come l’albero che vive e non si sente. A noi uomini, invece, nascendo, è toccato un tristo privilegio: quello di sentirci vivere, con la bella illusione che ne risulta. Questo sentimento della vita per il signor Anselmo era come un lanternino che ciascuno di noi porta in sè acceso.

Un lanternino che ci fa vedere sperduti su la terra, e ci fa vedere il male e il bene. Un lanternino che projetta tutt’intorno a noi un cerchio più o meno ampio di luce, di là dal quale è l’ombra nera, l’ombra paurosa.

Ma domando io ora, signor Meis: se tutto questo bujo, quest’enorme mistero, fosse in fondo solo un inganno della nostra mente? Se la morte, che ci fa tanta paura, non esistesse e fosse solo il soffio che spegne in noi questo lanternino?

Noi abbiamo sempre vissuto e sempre vivremo con l’universo. Anche ora, in questa forma nostra, partecipiamo a tutte le manifestazioni dell’universo, ma non lo sappiamo, non lo vediamo, perchè questo maledetto lumicino ci fa vedere soltanto quel poco a cui esso arriva.

Pirandello is my favorite author. His works are truly captivating and have had a profound impact on me. Among his many creations, Mattia Pascal is a character who stands out. He is the one who managed to escape, thinking that it would bring him an initial relief. However, as the story unfolds, we realize that in the end, one always returns to the starting point.

This character's journey teaches us an important lesson about the nature of escape. We often dream of running away from our problems, hoping to find a better place or a new beginning. But Pirandello shows us that no matter how far we run, we cannot truly escape ourselves. The issues and conflicts that we try to avoid will always catch up with us.

Mattia Pascal's experience also makes us reflect on the importance of facing our reality. Instead of constantly seeking an easy way out, we should have the courage to confront our problems and work towards solving them. Only by doing so can we find true peace and fulfillment in life.

Pirandello has an extremely particular style, and his tragicomic reflections are truly astonishing. He is a true classic who never loses his relevance and makes us question the meaning of our identity. The themes covered in this novel, in my opinion, are everything needed to give rise to critical thinking, reflection, and the absurd. Symbolism, transcendence, sociological aspects, the very identity of man, the infinite parameters of imagination, and freedom as the culminating theme. It is simply a literary work before which one has to take off one's hat and stand up. I will keep one of Italo Calvino's phrases about the classics:

"A classic is something that tends to relegate the present to the category of background noise, but at the same time cannot do without that background noise."

This novel by Pirandello is a masterpiece that invites us to explore the depths of human nature and the mysteries of existence. It challenges our preconceived notions and forces us to look at the world from a different perspective. The use of symbolism and the exploration of transcendence add an extra layer of depth to the story, making it a truly unforgettable reading experience.

At the beginning, it was nice.

I also like Luigi Pirandello's light and humorous style.

However, after a certain point, it became difficult for me to read and I got bored.

The story might have taken an unexpected turn or perhaps the pacing slowed down.

Whatever the reason, it lost my interest.

Maybe if I had continued reading, it would have picked up again and become more engaging.

But at that moment, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Sometimes, even the best-written books can have sections that don't quite capture our attention.

It doesn't mean the book is bad overall, just that it didn't work for me at that particular time.

Perhaps I'll give it another try in the future and see if my perspective has changed.

Until then, I'll move on to other books and hope to find ones that keep me hooked from start to finish.

If we admit that error and deviation are the essence of human beings, then isn't justice a kind of inhuman evil? =)))

I bought this book because I thought Tao Đàn PR was too good. When I got home and saw the Nobel Prize, I became even more hopeful. However, after reading it, I was a bit disappointed. The writing style is very Italian-like and rather dull and depressing. Fortunately, the ending was quite good. I'm very happy at the end of the year =))) In fact, I had imagined a completely different story =)) As Soseki said, if a person can't even survive in his own place, how can he survive in a place that isn't his? =))

"Buồn Cười Kinh Khủng"

This phrase, "buồn cười kinh khủng," which means "scary laugh" in English, evokes a sense of unease and mystery.

A scary laugh can send shivers down one's spine. It might be the laughter of a villain in a horror movie, full of malevolence and a hint of madness.

Imagine walking alone in a dark alley and suddenly hearing a strange, bone-chilling laugh. It would make your heart race and your hair stand on end.

The concept of a "buồn cười kinh khủng" can also be used in a more figurative sense. It could describe a situation or person that seems harmless at first but then reveals a hidden, disturbing side.

In conclusion, the phrase "buồn cười kinh khủng" holds a certain power to capture our attention and stir our emotions, making us both curious and afraid.

Mattia Pascal believes that he has an opportunity to sever all the ties that bind him to the world and exist in a state of absolute freedom.

However, he quickly realizes that there is no such thing as a fulfilling life or true freedom beyond the limitations set by society, unless one is willing to embrace a life filled with fear and solitude.

This is a classic and timeless novel, one that perhaps I should have read during my high school years.

On my particular edition, there is a postscript by Pirandello in which he details a real-life case he discovered in a newspaper, twenty years after the publication of his book, that closely mirrored the plot of "The Late Mattia Pascal." The humorous aspect is that, at the time, the novel was criticized for being too unrealistic!

It is interesting to note how art can sometimes imitate life in the most unexpected ways. This postscript adds an extra layer of depth and authenticity to the story, making it even more captivating.

Overall, "The Late Mattia Pascal" is a thought-provoking and engaging novel that explores themes of freedom, identity, and the role of society in our lives.

Finally, I managed to finish this book that has been boring me for over a month. Mattia Pascal/Adriano Meis is a complex character and there is a lot to say about him.

He represents the typical protagonist of a psychological novel. Essentially, he is an incompetent who lacks the strength to change his own condition and thus flees in the hope of finding the much-desired freedom. But it won't be so.

Honestly, as complex as I found this character, I also found him annoying and hypocritical. I couldn't fully understand him (my fault).

Leaving aside the protagonist, I liked the book because I really like Pirandello's style and the themes he treats (the famous theme of the mask), and the plot, as absurd as it may be, is absolutely brilliant.

Recommended to those who want to approach an Italian classic of this thickness.

Alla fine non è stato poi così tanto male.

It turns out that it wasn't so bad after all.

They should abolish the anthological readings.

They had made it seem ugly and boring to me.

I was initially quite reluctant when I heard about the anthological readings.

The way they described it made me think it would be a tiresome and uninteresting task.

However, when I actually delved into it, I discovered that there was more to it than meets the eye.

The various works included in the anthology offered a diverse range of perspectives and styles.

It was like opening a door to a whole new world of literature.

I found myself getting engrossed in the stories and poems, and before I knew it, I had forgotten all about my initial misgivings.

So, in the end, I'm glad that I gave the anthological readings a chance.

It goes to show that sometimes, things aren't always as bad as they seem at first glance.