Grazia Deledda's "The Mother"

Name: Grazia Deledda

Year Won: 1926

Read: The Mother

Original Language: Italian

Reason: ""for her idealistically inspired writings, which with plastic clarity picture the life on her native island and with depth and sympathy deal with human problems in general"

About: The Mother (like most of Deledda's works, apparently) is set in a tiny Sicilian village, with all action taking place between three characters over the course of two days.

The titular mother (Mary Magdalenna) is a local woman who is wildly proud that her son was able to become a priest. But she is now terrified that he is tempted by a local woman (Agnes) and that he will break his vows for her. We watch as she (and her son - Paul) grapple with this until the novel ends in a way that's shocking yet feels entirely appropriate.

What I liked: It's an excellent story. It's engrossing and hard to put down, while it also discusses morality (conventional and otherwise) as well as turn of the century village life.

What I Disliked: I didn't really see anything to dislike. This is a really great novel and I wish more of Deledda's work was in print in English so I could read it.

Should it have won a Nobel: Yes. This is a great novel. Assuming her others are even nearly as good, she well deserves the prize.

Next up: Henri Bergson's "The Meaning of the War"