Malacqua : Four Days of Rain in the City of Naples, Waiting for the Occurrence of an Extraordinary Event

Four days of rain trigger strange events across Naples: ghostly voices are heard and musical coins appear. As a journalist searches for meaning, we follow those enduring the floods. This portrait of a much-mythologized city captivated Italy when it was first published in 1977. Withdrawn at the author's request until his death in 2012, this is its first English publication. After a four-day deluge, Naples is flooded. Buildings collapse, sinkholes appear. Strange events spread across the city: ghostly voices emit from the Castel dell’Ovo and a neglected child finds a singing coin. A melancholy journalist searches for meaning, as the narrative takes us into the minds of those who have suffered in the floods. Mysteriously withdrawn from publication until Pugliese’s death in 2012, and only now appearing in English, Malacqua is a richly peopled portrait of a much-mythologised city After A Four-day Deluge, Naples Is Flooded. Buildings Collapse, Sinkholes Appear. Strange Events Spread Across The City: Ghostly Voices Emanate From A Medieval Castle Adn Five-lire Coins Begin To Play Music, But Only To Ten-year-old Childre. A Melancholy Journalist Searches For Meaning As The Narrative Takes Us Into The Minds Of Those Who Have Suffered In The Floods. Despite Phenomenal Initial Success, The Novel Was Withdrawn From Publication At The Author's Request, And Not Reissued Until After His Death In 2012. To This Day, Malacqua Remains A Timely Critique And A Richly Peopled Portrait Of A Much-muthologised City--back Cover. Nicola Pugliese ; Translated By Shaun Whiteside. "After a four-day deluge, Naples is flooded. Buildings collapse, sinkholes appear. Strange events spread across the city: ghostly voices emanate from a medieval castle and five-lire coins begin to play music, but only to ten-year-old children. A melancholy journalist searches for meaning as the narrative takes us into the minds of those who have suffered in the floods. Despite phenomenal initial success, the novel was withdrawn from publication at the author's request, and not reissued until after his death in 2012. To this day, Malacqua remains a timely critique and a richly peopled portrait of a much-mythologised city."--Page 4 of cover In the town square of Coronel Pringles stands a lime tree from which the author's father used to brew a sedative tea. This Proustian infusion evokes dark memories of the 1955 anti-Perónist revolution, which dashed the family's middle-class dreams. The Lime Tree is a portrait of the artist as a child and a lucid analysis of a family's social trajectory.