misreadings
From the Preface:
"'Granita' was meant as a parody of Nabokov's Lolita, exploiting also the fact that the translation of the protagonist's name is Umberto Umberto. Of course, my piece is not so much a parody of Nabokov as of the Italian translation of the novel; but what I wrote, even translated from Italian, is still readable, I think. The parody is set in the small towns of Piedmont, the region where I was born.From 'Granita':
"Granita. Flower of my adolescence, torment of my nights. Will I ever see you again? Granita. Granita. Gran-i-ta. Three syllables, the second and third forming a diminutive, as if contradicting the first. Gran. Ita. Granita, may I remember you until your image has become a shadow and your abode the grave."From 'Regretfully, We Are Returning Your... (Reader's Reports)':
"[On Homer, The Oddysey.] Personally, I like this book. A good yarn, exciting, packed with adventure. Sufficient love interest, both marital fidelity and adulterous flings (Calypso is a great character, a real man eater); there's even a Lolita aspect, with the teenager Nausicaa, where the author doesn't spell things out, but it's a turn-on anyway."
- More information on Umberto Eco.
- Mr. Eco's resume as posted in his university home page.
- Many thanks to Nelson Herrera for the original query re. 'Granita.'
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