Before I read Stories for the Years my only knowledge of Pirandello’s work has been the play Six Characters in Search of an Author. However, there’s much more to this prolific writer than a few plays. *
Luigi Pirandello was an Italian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short story writer who was born in Sicily and awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934, shortly before his death.
In 1904 Pirandello lost most of his and his wife’s wealth when his father’s sulphur mines, in which Pirandello was heavily invested, were destroyed in a flood. His wife, Antonietta, subsequently suffered an emotional collapse which led to her eventually being committed to an asylum.
Given this background it should come as no surprise that his plays sometimes border on the absurd and deal with topics such as the dynamics between reality, sanity, and identity. On the other hand his short stories capture the essence of rural life in Sicily – whether it’s through dialogue or the sharp observations of the daily life of the island’s inhabitants.
In this collection of short stories, compiled by Virginia Jewiss. The idea for Stories for the Years originated in 1922 when Pirandello started gathering his short stories into a collection. The intention was to compile 365 stories into a single volume – unfortunately Pirandello never managed to complete this feat. Virginia Jewiss revisited the master story-teller’s idea in this new version published by Yale University Press. In Stories for Years she chose and translated thirty stories that capture central themes present in his work.
Among these are identity, relationships and the mismatch between reality and appearances. In the story of Donna Mimma, for example, the livelihood of a seasoned midwife is under threat when a young, twenty year-old “coquette” from the mainland, Elvira Mosti, arrives in town. Will the village choose the one with the experience and wisdom or the one with the education and knowledge? Since Donna Mimma has no diploma and suddenly isn’t allowed to practice without one, she has no choice but to go back to university at the age of fifty-six. Much like many of Pirandello’s stories, a seemingly straight-forward story has a sting in its tail. Characters like Donna Mimma and Jaco Naco harbour resentment towards others, but their bitterness and meanness only lead to their own downfall. Whether their unpleasant demeanour is justified is for the reader to decide.
These moral aspects and sometimes hidden lessons bring a distinct folktale quality to the stories. And just like most folktales they also have a dark and ironic undertone, but also a distinct feeling of melancholy. Whether it’s sadness about ageing, financial struggles or solitude. Nonetheless his beautifully visual descriptions conjure up a traditional time in Sicily’s history that is long gone.
It’s not difficult to see why Pirandello was regarded as one of Europe’s most significant literary figures of the last century. Despite their vivid depiction of Sicily in the early nineteen hundreds, most of the issues his characters struggled with are still relevant today.
*Pirandello published around 200 short stories, including one the day before he died. His first story was published at the age of seventeen.
Stories for the years is published by Yale University Press who also kindly provided me with a NetGalley copy for review.
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