Capri and No Longer Capri

by Raffaele La Capria, Richard J. Pioli (Translator), Elizabeth A. Petroff (Translator)

Overview

Raffaele La Capria creates a portrait of Capri that begins in the time of Ulysses and moves to our present complex and hectic reality, and composes an elegy for a Nature blasted by human negligence and error. Americans have now been visiting Capri for many years, and La Capria's book will offer much to newcomers to the island that they would not otherwise have at their disposal, for his slim volume is a guidebook of a special kind, something like a novel and a local Italian guide. Capri has had a long history as a place of retreat, of sensual license, and of unparalleled natural beauty. Without running through the usual list of sights, La Capria gives his reader the sensation of having peered beneath each stone, and of giving an appreciation of what such a place has done to others, some of whom, once under Capri's spell, gave their lives over to their dreams.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781560255031
Publisher:	PublicAffairs
Publication date:	08/22/2003
Series:	Nation Books
Edition description:	First Trade Paper Edition
Pages:	168
Product dimensions:	5.75(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Raffaele La Capria is well-known to Italian readers for his novels and novellas. Ferito a morte (1961) is considered his greatest novel and was awarded the Strega Prize. Elizabeth A. Petroff has translated Latin, Italian, and French writings by medieval women. Richard J. Pioli's translations include works by Marinetti, D'Annunzio, and De Chirico.

Table of Contents

	Translators' Preface	vii
1.	The Dream of an Imperial Villa	1
2.	The Discovery of the Blue Grotto	12
3.	Fersen: A Legend in Somewhat Black and Pink	21
4.	Krupp: An Odious Conspiracy	30
5.	Douglas the Sirenologist	41
6.	The Cerio-Capri Binomial	48
7.	Alberto Savinio's Capri	56
8.	Going to the Villa Lysis	62
9.	Romantic Monika	71
10.	Images of the Island	81
11.	The Spirits of the Place	87
12.	The Solitary House	95
13.	My House Under Monte Solaro	104
14.	On a Rock One Morning	111
15.	Capri and No Longer Capri	118
	Postscript	155

Editorial Reviews

Originally published in Italy in 1991, this book by famed Italian author La Capria presents a picture of the island of Capri that may shock some and make others hastily switch their travel plans. For many years, Capri ranked as one of the most sybaritic, debauched destinations in Europe an island paradise where English expatriates and other wandering souls could go for a cleansing dose of weird midnight rituals at the Blue Lagoon and where homosexuality was rampant. Capria's intent is to debunk many of these stories while acknowledging that many are true. The outcome is an intimate and brutally honest look at an island that has earned both a fanciful and a disturbing reputation as a European destination that is far off the beaten path. This book is not intended for the casual tourist who takes a day trip from Naples to Capri and only spends a few hours at the Blue Lagoon. It is thus a marginal choice for all but large public libraries. Joseph L. Carlson, Lompoc P.L., CA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

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