Ernesto (English and Italian Edition) First Edition Edition. By Umberto Saba (Author). Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
A coming of age story that is a classic of gay literature, now in English for the first time An NYRB Classics Original Ernesto is a classic of gay literature, a tender, complex, and poignant tale of sexual awakening by one of Italy's most famous and beloved poets. Ernesto is a sixteen-year-old boy from an educated family who lives alone with his mother in Trieste. His moth A coming of age story that is a classic of gay literature, now in English for the first time An NYRB Classics Original Ernesto is a classic of gay literature, a tender, complex, and poignant tale of sexual awakening by one of Italy's most famous and beloved poets. Ernesto is a sixteen-year-old boy from an educated family who lives alone with his mother in Trieste.
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His mother is eager for him to get ahead in the world and has asked a local businessman to give him some workplace experience by employing him in his warehouse. One day a workingman makes advances to Ernesto, who responds with willing curiosity. A month of trysts ensues before the boy begins to tire of the relationship.
He starts to avoid the unhappy man and finally escapes him altogether by engineering his own dismissal from the firm. And yet his experience has changed him, and as Umberto Saba's unfinished, autobiographical story breaks off, Ernesto has struck up a new, increasingly romantic attachment to a boy his own age. Ernesto combines remarkable honesty with delicate and exact psychological insight. Saba not only describes Ernesto's feelings, restlessness, and passion but also, in witty, sardonic, and emotion-laden asides, comments and reflects on them from the more knowing but also rueful point of view of the older man he became.
NYRB describes this as a 'classic of gay literature,' just now available translated into English. It is said to be possibly autobiographical, but readers coming to it expecting a simple narrative will be surprised. The author never finished the book. The translator includes helpful information at the beginning and end of the content to help situate the reader - there is even one letter from the author inserted at a point in the writing where he couldn't decide which direction to go or if he even NYRB describes this as a 'classic of gay literature,' just now available translated into English. It is said to be possibly autobiographical, but readers coming to it expecting a simple narrative will be surprised. The author never finished the book. The translator includes helpful information at the beginning and end of the content to help situate the reader - there is even one letter from the author inserted at a point in the writing where he couldn't decide which direction to go or if he even wanted this published.
If you go into it expecting the fourth wall to be transparent, it will be a better experience. I would call this a non-essential read, personally. Thanks to the publisher who provided a review copy through Edelweiss.
Bought at the NYRB 50% off sale Recommended by Ryan This is a very slight (100 page) unfinished Italian novel. I skipped the intro so knew absolutely nothing going in. I loved the writing! Someone (the narrator) is telling us the long ago story of a boy (Ernesto) and 'the man'. There are a lot of parentheses, (multiple per page;-) After awhile I looked forward to the next comment that was (in parentheses).
It is very conversational and almost comforting to read, if that makes any sense (okay, I c Bought at the NYRB 50% off sale Recommended by Ryan This is a very slight (100 page) unfinished Italian novel. I skipped the intro so knew absolutely nothing going in. I loved the writing!
Someone (the narrator) is telling us the long ago story of a boy (Ernesto) and 'the man'. There are a lot of parentheses, (multiple per page;-) After awhile I looked forward to the next comment that was (in parentheses). It is very conversational and almost comforting to read, if that makes any sense (okay, I could be the only one with this reaction, but that's how it felt). There is some graphic sexual description, in case you like to know these things before you read. After I finished the novel I loved reading the introduction to find out more about the very troubled author and the supplemental history at the end. It's a gem of a book. 3.5, rounded down.
While not quite the 'classic of gay literature' the publisher would lead you to believe, this short, quick autobiographical book is nevertheless an interesting view of adolescent sexuality at the turn of the 19th Century. Although the author abandoned plans for a lengthier work, it doesn't really matter that it is 'unfinished', as it DOES more or less come to a satisfying conclusion. The translation reads a bit stilted at times, but a note from the translator indicates that no 3.5, rounded down. While not quite the 'classic of gay literature' the publisher would lead you to believe, this short, quick autobiographical book is nevertheless an interesting view of adolescent sexuality at the turn of the 19th Century.
Although the author abandoned plans for a lengthier work, it doesn't really matter that it is 'unfinished', as it DOES more or less come to a satisfying conclusion. The translation reads a bit stilted at times, but a note from the translator indicates that no one can really reproduce in English the Triestino dialect in which much of the book is written. This book wasn’t bad but at the same time it was unremarkable.
Although the gay relationship detailed in the first part of the book would certainly have been considered scandalous at the time of writing (1953) and even of publication (1975), the author does not delve in any way into this relationship and perhaps it is laudable in that it doesn’t seem to condemn it either. However, this removed the reason for which I had decided to read, as an example of an early gay novel. Similarly, the rest of This book wasn’t bad but at the same time it was unremarkable.
Although the gay relationship detailed in the first part of the book would certainly have been considered scandalous at the time of writing (1953) and even of publication (1975), the author does not delve in any way into this relationship and perhaps it is laudable in that it doesn’t seem to condemn it either. However, this removed the reason for which I had decided to read, as an example of an early gay novel. Similarly, the rest of book is not bad while it isn’t particularly good either, in content or style. The only thing that I would say in defense of the author is that he did not see the novel to the end, as he thought the subject matter made it unpublishable, but I would fault those who made the decision to publish it as an independent book. I would have suggested publishing it in a collection of unfinished manuscripts that while serving the need of the avid Umberto Saba fan who could see the promise it may have held, it would have also indicated to casual readers that it may not be worth. More a novella than a novel, and actually never finished, Ernesto probably ranks as one of the most delightful, fresh, and honest coming of age stories and tales of sexual awakening ever written. As Umberto Saba looks back at his childhood in Trieste at the end of the XIX century, he magically recaptures, through the character of the 16-year-old Ernesto, the complexities, contradictions, and wonders of what it means to be a teenager, to discover the realm of desire, and to open up to the world o More a novella than a novel, and actually never finished, Ernesto probably ranks as one of the most delightful, fresh, and honest coming of age stories and tales of sexual awakening ever written.
As Umberto Saba looks back at his childhood in Trieste at the end of the XIX century, he magically recaptures, through the character of the 16-year-old Ernesto, the complexities, contradictions, and wonders of what it means to be a teenager, to discover the realm of desire, and to open up to the world of adults. There is what I would call a sort of modesty, to Saba’s little book and to his writing, and that adds immense charm to the naturalness (and directness) with which he introduces us to Ernesto, as the young man navigates the disconcerting realities of growing older and of having sex, first with a man and then with a woman. Saba perfectly understands the workings of the mind of a young adult, or maybe he just kept intact within himself the wondrous state of mind that he was in when aged 16: the result certainly feels very true. He follows Ernesto with an amused but affectionate eye, and with a mixture of irony and compassion that few writers would know how to handle. Ernesto is characterized by a delicious blend of cruelty, naivety, tenderness, sensitivity, arrogance, and fragility: he is as much a male teenager of his time and place as he is universal. The sex scenes (especially the gay encounters between the teenager and a melancholy older co-worker who’s enamored with him) are surprising for their frankness, ande beautiful in the matter-of-factly way they describe what happens.
Is Ernesto gay? He’s certainly bi, in an unassuming way, at a time when such definitions don’t exist. The last chapter hints at a relationship with a young male violinist Ernesto is infatuated with, and brings a lovely romantic dimension to a finale which was not supposed to be the last chapter, but only an episode in what was supposed to be a much larger opus. This book may be unfinished, but such as it is, it is as perfect a work of art as other incomplete masterpieces like F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Last Tycoon or Jean Renoir’s film A day in the country. It is exquisitely written (and lovingly traduced in this edition), with great humor, but also delicate tenderness and pathos (the torments of the man who’s in love with Ernesto are touchingly evoked without ever being hammered).
Enchanting may be the best adjective to describe Saba’s novel. If you chance upon Ernesto on Wikipedia and read its synopsis, and if you have read or watched Call Me by Your Name, you would no doubt suspect that Aciman had plagiarized Saba. Or am I just projecting? Probably yes. Shamefully, this was my first thought. The parallels are there, but upon reading both novels one is likely to say that they, although with astounding similarities, are different stories-as I did. (Besides, appropriation is not exactly a modern thing.
It's ancient.) Ernesto is a str If you chance upon Ernesto on Wikipedia and read its synopsis, and if you have read or watched Call Me by Your Name, you would no doubt suspect that Aciman had plagiarized Saba. Or am I just projecting? Probably yes. Shamefully, this was my first thought. The parallels are there, but upon reading both novels one is likely to say that they, although with astounding similarities, are different stories-as I did. (Besides, appropriation is not exactly a modern thing. It's ancient.) Ernesto is a strange unfinished novel.
And depressing. The world it painted for me was much too glaringly bright to be anything but harsh. Like an Edward Hopper painting. I hated Ernesto as much as I liked him: hate, because he's arrogante and thought himself to be better than the people around him; like, because he's realistic, at least. I wish Saba were able to finish Ernesto.
I would have loved going deeper into the young man's psychological complexities. He is, indeed, a character of interest. I'm curious what would happen between Ernesto and his new companion Ilio ( Elio, Elio, Elio). Are they going to start having a sexual relationship? Are they going to fall in love with each other (or, as revealed in the last chapter that Ernesto was in fact already in love with the latter, is Ilio going to repay the former's love for him)?
Are they to end up with each other? So many questions.
(Rating: 3 stars. But also 4 stars. Can't really decide.). This is a curious little book. First of all, Saba never finished it and it was unpublished in his lifetime. Secondly, NYRB is billing it as a 'classic of gay literature' but I'm not convinced it deserves that title. Although Ernesto engages in homosexual acts, he doesn't seem to self-identify as gay, and the queer content is merely a short-lived subplot.
Perhaps that would have changed if Saba had a chance to complete the novel, since there are some hints of homoeroticism in the friendship he st This is a curious little book. First of all, Saba never finished it and it was unpublished in his lifetime.
Secondly, NYRB is billing it as a 'classic of gay literature' but I'm not convinced it deserves that title. Although Ernesto engages in homosexual acts, he doesn't seem to self-identify as gay, and the queer content is merely a short-lived subplot. Perhaps that would have changed if Saba had a chance to complete the novel, since there are some hints of homoeroticism in the friendship he strikes up with a younger boy later near the end of the narrative. However, Saba is gifted at characterization and Ernesto emerges as a three-dimensional, sympathetic and occasionally infuriating character.
I had never heard of this book OR this author (Umberto Saba), and discovered it while looking around for Italian authors to read in advance of a trip to Italy. As the New York Review of Books correctly points out, it is an absolute classic of gay literature.
However, the freshness of it's perceptions and the charm of its writing make it an appealing book for ANYONE interested in reading about the first pangs of sexual awakening. It's very slight and actually unfinished, but even in its truncated I had never heard of this book OR this author (Umberto Saba), and discovered it while looking around for Italian authors to read in advance of a trip to Italy. As the New York Review of Books correctly points out, it is an absolute classic of gay literature.
However, the freshness of it's perceptions and the charm of its writing make it an appealing book for ANYONE interested in reading about the first pangs of sexual awakening. It's very slight and actually unfinished, but even in its truncated form, it's a gem. I read this book as part of a course in Italian authors writing with Trieste, Italy as the setting. I’m very intrigued by Trieste and after a short visit am drawn to learn more. The book, which is billed as a classic of gay literature, is a tender book and autobiographical story of a young man’s sexual awakening.
Saba, who wrote this late in his life, is celebrated as one of Italy’s primo poets. The setting does play a part with Ernesto working at the docks. It’s not a must read, but I’m glad to I read this book as part of a course in Italian authors writing with Trieste, Italy as the setting. I’m very intrigued by Trieste and after a short visit am drawn to learn more.
The book, which is billed as a classic of gay literature, is a tender book and autobiographical story of a young man’s sexual awakening. Saba, who wrote this late in his life, is celebrated as one of Italy’s primo poets. The setting does play a part with Ernesto working at the docks. It’s not a must read, but I’m glad to have it in my library.
What a little gem of a novel. Umberto Saba (age 70 when he wrote this) has written one of the more tender and subtle novels about a young boy (16 going on 17-year-old) finding his sexuality. That a 70 year old can write so eloquently about such a topic is amazing. It takes place in Trieste at the end of the 19th century.
Saba wrote this in 1953 and was finally released by his daughter in 1975 by (and now by NYRB). The introduction, Saba's notes and the History of Ernesto portions at the end of t What a little gem of a novel. Umberto Saba (age 70 when he wrote this) has written one of the more tender and subtle novels about a young boy (16 going on 17-year-old) finding his sexuality. That a 70 year old can write so eloquently about such a topic is amazing. It takes place in Trieste at the end of the 19th century. Saba wrote this in 1953 and was finally released by his daughter in 1975 by (and now by NYRB). The introduction, Saba's notes and the History of Ernesto portions at the end of this edition enhances this gem.
So go out and read it! Really enjoyed this story. Beautifully written and even the two very short sex scenes were handled in a way that was neither overly pornographic nor cheesy 50 Shades of Grey style.
It's the tale of an adolescent boy who is struggling with that bridge of leaving childhood and entering adulthood. Being semi-autobiographical, Saba creates a main character of such vivid colour who fluctuates between adolescent bravado, child-like naivety, teenage impetuosity and even callous emotional control of an Really enjoyed this story.
Beautifully written and even the two very short sex scenes were handled in a way that was neither overly pornographic nor cheesy 50 Shades of Grey style. It's the tale of an adolescent boy who is struggling with that bridge of leaving childhood and entering adulthood. Being semi-autobiographical, Saba creates a main character of such vivid colour who fluctuates between adolescent bravado, child-like naivety, teenage impetuosity and even callous emotional control of an older (28 yr old) man. Ernesto wants to experience sexual love as an adult, yet have the fraternal love of a childhood friend. A boy who wants to do his own thing, but a boy who still needs the emotional attachment to his mother. The fringe characters, as the translator reminds us, are all part of the author too. This story gripped me from beginning to end.
The autobiographical slant gives it added poignancy. I couldn't put it down and I have no doubt I will return to it.