The Complete Little World of Don Camillo

By Giovannino Guareschi

Book Overview

Reading The Little World of Don Camillo is to travel to the Valley of the River Po, Italy's widest and most fertile plain, with its unique atmosphere, culture and history. And to do so in the incomparable company of a cast of characters who testify to the exquisite humour and humanity of their creator.

In the Little World, eternal forces grapple with the absurd drama of everyday life and hilarious and unearthly things tend to happen. Keep this in mind and you will have no difficulty in getting to know the village priest, Don Camillo, and his adversary, Peppone, the Communist Mayor. Nor will you be surprised when a third person watches the goings-on from a big cross in the village church and not infrequently intercede...

These enchanting, wise and strangely moving stories of life in the Lower Plain have for years enthralled millions of readers of all ages around the world. They have been feted not only in books but in films, on radio and TV. Now they are available in paperback, ebook and audio editions faithful to the original manuscripts of their author and with many stories available in English for the first time.

The Author
Giovanni Guareschi is a shrewd satirist. Beneath the warmth and humour of life in La Bassa he shakes us out of our ideological straightjackets and marks out a path to true freedom of conscience, good for all times and all places.

The Translator
Adam Elgar is a young award-winning translator and poet with a profound empathy with the spirit of Italy.

Reviews
'Written with such warmth and simplicity, so concerned with the trivialities of everyday life and giving us so shrewd a glimpse into the minds of the people . . .' London Evening News

'Inimitable, delicious, full of pure fun' --The Observer

'Charming and enchanting . . . Witty and wise' --Edinburgh Evening News

'You'll find Don Camillo not just enchanting and lovable, and at times hilariously funny, but also strangely moving in his simple but certain faith.' --BBC Radio Books by the Fire

Don Camillo enters the magisterium
Said Pope Francis in 2015, 'Thinking of the simplicity of fictional characters such as Don Camillo and his sidekick Peppone, I find it striking how, in Guareschi's stories, the prayers of a good parish priest go hand in hand with his evident closeness to the people.'

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1900064073
• ISBN13: 9781900064071
• Release Date: June 2017
• Publisher: Pilot Film & Television Productions Ltd
• Length: 274 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Don Camillo

I had a hard time finding this book, but the seller was exceptionally kind, and so helpful. Even though he was going on a trip. It arrived in wonderful condition. I purchased it as a gift which I know will be enjoyed. I plan on further purchases. Since it is in Italian, I didn't read it but I have a copy in English. My brother is studying Italian but also enjoys the Don Camillo Series. He couldn't find inexpensive books in Oregon, where he lives.

Good book for students of Italian

This book, written in Italian, is based on a vocabulary of about 1200 words (Level B). Difficult words are explained in simple Italian (no English translations), and throughout the book you will find many drawings of animals, objects or situations that provide additional help in understanding the story. The story tells the life of a Catholic priest in a small Italian village just after the war. He has to reconcile the political views and rules of the city government with the social needs of his congregation--and he does so in a sometimes humorous, sometimes pathetic, way. Some of the problems and solutions are quite bizarre but give interesting insight into a different culture. Other Italian books for advanced beginners are "Ti ho sposato per allegria" by Natalia Ginzburg, "Mio marito" by Dacia Maraini, "Veleno a colazione" by Tiziana Merani (with CD), "La casa sulla scogliera" by Cinzia Medaglia (with CD), and "Delitto in piazza del campo" by Maria Luisa Banfi (with CD).

What a Find!!

I was at a summer fair recently and browsing on the book stall when I found a very old copy of the Little World of Don Camillo dating from 1953. I had no idea what it was at the time as I'd never heard of it but i was intrigued by the blurb. this book is HILARIOUS! I kept laughing out loud and getting very strange looks! but it was worth it! I am now determined to find the rest of the books and read them although I am aware that they may cost me slightly more that my 25p find at the Fete! It's a brilliant book that transports you into another world with ease and lets you meet characters that you can believe in and love. A very well spent 25 pence!

A Masterpiece of Humor and Faith

Having first entered Don Camillo's little world at 10, I have returned innumerable times over the decades, and frequently given directions to friends, too. This little work is a masterpiece. There is more wisdom, faith, hope, and love, to be found in its pages than in many far more "serious" works of fiction. All of that is accomplished in a deceptively simple gem of literary style. Like any great work of fiction, it captivates the heart as well as the mind. It is impossible to spend time in this little world and not come away with a smile on one's face and hope in one's heart. The Little World of Don Camillo is ideal reading for anyone, of any age or condition, anywhere.

Warm and human

Guareschi's books should rank among the classics of Italian literature and ought to be read at school, but they are not. Why? Who knows.... Maybe because the so-called Italian intellectuals think that comic stuff isn't deep enough. Anyway, don Camillo, Peppone and his comrades are the most loved characters in Italian fiction and their stories are real masterpieces. A must read both for the old and the young. You'll love Guareschi!