All About Books discussion
This topic is about
Reeds in the Wind
Readalongs
>
Reeds in the Wind by Grazia Deledda (dely and Dhanaraj)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Dhanaraj
(new)
-
rated it 4 stars
Mar 10, 2014 09:03AM
This is the readlong for Grazia Deledda's REEDS IN THE WIND.
reply
|
flag
I read the first chapter and I can already say that I feel myself sitting in the countryside of Sardegna. The major premise for the novel seems to be already set in the first chapter.
And about the first chapter, I specially loved the local people's beliefs and fears about the night life with its fairies, ghosts, etc. I can say that we (Tamils of South India) also have similar beliefs in our own setting. For instance, about PANAS: We have similar belief in our culture. And we also use certain objects to ward of Panas or other spirits. The spirit of the woman died in the childbirth is supposed to be sighing and moaning with grief for the lost child. They believe that it usually asks for milk or some child food or toy for the kid if one happens to meet. The place where they are supposed to roam around many toys are placed to ward them off.
How very similar the beliefs and people. People everywhere is the same.
(read chapter I-III)As I already said, I didn't like the detailed descriptions of the landscape though they are very poetic. But I don't like them in general, it's not Deledda's fault.
But like you I liked the descriptions of the beliefs. I didn't know anything about them because to tell the truth I don't know anything about Sardinia.
I loved the descriptions of the people.
Have you read only the first chapter? If so I won't add other opinions. I have read till chapter 3. Omg!! Did I spoil you something with the private message? I hope really not :(
No. You have not spoiled by spilling out something new. I have completed two chapters and I plan to finish the third chapter also today.By the way, I love the way Efix goes back to the Past every now and then It is really difficult to escape the holds of Past. Everything reminds him of that and that is very much true.
Dhanaraj wrote: "No. You have not spoiled by spilling out something new. I have completed two chapters and I plan to finish the third chapter also today.By the way, I love the way Efix goes back to the Past every..."
Above all because the family had a glorious past whereas now they live in poverty. Everything is so miserable now. But I also think that an old person, like Efix is, likes to have thoughts about the past, when everything was better.
Seen that I don't like landscape descriptions I looked on google for Galte, the village the story is set. It is called Galtelli: https://www.google.it/search?q=galte+...
This is a very interesting site: http://www.parchiletterari.com/parchi...
You can see some locations of the book.
dely: Those links are just superb. The second one is all the more interesting. It makes lot of sense now and the imagination while reading is better equipped. I will have to read the article in the second link once again at the completion of the book.
Dhanaraj wrote: "dely: Those links are just superb. The second one is all the more interesting. It makes lot of sense now and the imagination while reading is better equipped."I do it often with the books I read: I must see the places above all if the landscape is important and I think that it is in this book. Not only because Deledda was from Sardinia and so she loved her land and this is easily understandable from the poetic descriptions she does; but also because it is a harsh but beautiful land and sometimes the land in which we live affects our personality or our way of living so I think that seeing the places can help to understand better the characters of the story.
That site organizes also trips. Easter with Grazia Deledda in Galtelli: http://www.parchiletterari.com/itiner... :D
That is right dely, that the external world has an influence over the inner world of a person. This is also scientifically proved. The body of the person living near sea is different from the body of the person living in the forest. The change in the external world will invariably affect the inner world of the person. The change of the climate and the consequent health problems is a simple example of that.And about your earlier comment regarding your liking of the characters in the book: I think you are right. I too am fascinated by the people and their character. Example: About Noemi: "è sempre lei! L'orgoglio la regge...". Efix - un uomo che vede bel passato ogni tanto. About the other people who are ready to indulge in character assassination. Enjoying it a lot.
I would love to do the gita. But then, I too have a desire to go to the moon. Some desires are meant to be just that - The Desires.
Completed the sixth chapter. Nothing new to say except that I am completely enjoying the ethnographic details presented in this book. I studied folklore for my Masters and so this is one of the subjects that attracts me much. The proverbs ("...il pozzo più profondo, ad attingersi troppo si secca.")or the simple local sayings ("Ti punga la vespa; fuoco di lingua") all give me great pleasures.I came across this statement in the sixth chapter: "...l'amore è quello che lega l'uomo alla donna, e il denaro quello che lega la donna all'uomo." What do you think of that?
Dhanaraj wrote: "Completed the sixth chapter. Nothing new to say except that I am completely enjoying the ethnographic details presented in this book. I studied folklore for my Masters and so this is one of the sub..."Me too, I have read till chapter VI.
I'm not that enthusiastic about the folklore. It means that I read it as I read about the landscape but it doesn't give me pleasure as it does with you. I read it as if everything is normal. But I understand what you mean because I enjoy to read about folklore of other countries. Perhaps it's because I'm used to the Italian one. Also the old ladies that sit with the hands under the apron (il grembiule) and the white veil, I have seen a lot of them when I was a child and went to greet old relatives. I know also how such feats are in such desolated villages: they are really depressing because the inhabitants have nothing but this. I have watched a lot of time men playing "morra" so it doesn't impress me to read about it; it's part of the life when I was a child.
It is depressing how Deledda describes the life of these people. They have really nothing and it seems to me that they only feign to be happy but if they could go away they would do it or perhaps they are hopeless. Perhaps the only satisfied person is Efix.
Of course I can't agree with that statement :D But it is something that a lot of men really think. I think it's only a generalization.
I liked the sentence about the wisdom of water (l'acqua è saggia perché si adatta in ogni contenitore...something like this) referred to Giacinto. A person, to be in peace with himself, must a little bit adapt to the environment in which he lives but in my opinion this doesn't mean that he must force himself because if he doesn't live happily in a place he should go away. In this sentence, though I like it, I see resignation and no stimulus to improve one's situation or to make changes for a better life.
About the description and its depressing element as you called it: I think that this might be a news to many. To present an ordinary life of an ordinary village itself might have seemed a great achievement in the times of Deledda. She does not idealise and she presents just as she found the life. She presents the simple people with their own hold on life - For instance, for Pottoi the simple knowledge that Giacinto had sadi once casually that he would marry Grixindia is more than enough of a satisfaction and for Efix to look at the moon as the ever accompanying wife is the best consolation. The hopes of simple people and their hold on life depends on simple things. That is what I understood.Moreover, to move from one's place is not that easy. People are chained to their locations and it is difficult to get away. Even when the situation is difficult they want to make their life in their own land than going for away. I too loved the quote regarding the water and its adaptation. That is, at its best, their philosophy.
About the other quote on women tied to man for the sake of money: As soon as I read that line I was reminded of Virginia Woolf's line: “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” This Woolf wrote in 1929. But Deledda had already indicated it in 1913 itself. That is, in those days when women were not that 'independent' Deledda had already identified 'lack of economical self sufficiency' as the root problem. What do you think?
Dhanaraj wrote: "About the description and its depressing element as you called it: ... She presents the simple people with their own hold on life - For instance, for Pottoi the simple knowledge that Giacinto had sadi once casually that he would marry Grixindia is more than enough of a satisfaction and for Efix to look at the moon as the ever accompanying wife is the best consolation. The hopes of simple people and their hold on life depends on simple things. That is what I understood."Yes, this is true and somehow Deledda softens the desolation of their lives with the descriptions of the beauty of the landscape. They are simple people and perhaps they don't ask much more as they have, but for me it's depressing. It happened also reading "Cristo si è fermato a Eboli"; everthing Levi wrote was so true but it was a hard and desolated truth and so, for me, depressing. Deledda portrays them as they are but I feel there is something sad and hopeless in their lives.
Till now I like Efix perhaps because he lives in harmony with nature and he is always ready to help; he is pure and simple. I felt so sorry for him when Giacinto narrated about why he had to leave the city in which he lived, because he didn't know what to say.
Moreover, to move from one's place is not that easy. People are chained to their locations and it is difficult to get away.
Yes, I agree and in those times it was also more difficult. In that period (end of 1800 and the first two decades of 2000) a lot of Italians emigrated because of poverty (there is a second huge emigration during WWII).
During the celebrations there are some men who talk about going away and someone said that he went to the USA with great hopes and some money but had to turn back because he couldn't find a work and the money finished. It seems that all those who listened had now a good excuse to not try to go away thinking it would be only a waste of time and money. I think they were also scared to leave their land though Lia, Giacinto's mother, did it. In fact nobody wants to talk about her because it was considered, at least for women, something deeply wrong. Deledda wants to show also the mentality of the people of that time.
About the other quote on women tied to man for the sake of money: As soon as I read that line I was reminded of Virginia Woolf's line: “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” This Woolf wrote in 1929. But Deledda had already indicated it in 1913 itself. That is, in those days when women were not that 'independent' Deledda had already identified 'lack of economical self sufficiency' as the root problem. What do you think?
I think the two sentences are different: Virginia Woolf says that a woman needs money to write, Deledda says, through his character, that the only thing a woman looks for in a man is his economic well-being. This is typically sexist and denigrating for a woman also because still now a lot of men say that a woman looks only for money. But this is only a generalization: there are woman who look only for rich men but there are also other women that have other values than money.
Of course when a person is poor also the economical side is important but it's not the only reason a woman choses a man. I think that Deledda wanted also to underline the sexist mentality of those times.
That was a rich reply filled with some very interesting thoughts.About Carlo Levi's Book: I loved the book and I can also see your reasons for not enjoying very much.
About Virginia Woolf and Deledda: I see your point now and that is right.
Dhanaraj wrote: "That was a rich reply filled with some very interesting thoughts."Thanks ;)
Completed the ninth chapter.At present I am very angry with Giacinto.
Other than that, an interesting direction in Noemi's character is indicated.
About the sexist remark that we had discussed about earlier comes once again. And we can say that you were right in detecting it as Deledda's way of presenting the beliefs of those times other than expressing her own opinions. It gets cemented once again in the 9th chapter. The quote: "Un uomo libero è sempre adatto per una donna libera: basta ci sia amore....Non è il pane che le chiedo, è più del pane; è la salvezza di una donna."
And another interesting character is Donna Ruth: What do you think of her?
Dhanaraj wrote: "At present I am very angry with Giacinto."Yes, Giacinto's behavior is really irritating. I don't think he is a bad person, he is only immature and irresponsible.
I think Noemi is a person full of love and passion but she has suffered a lot because she wasn't able, like Lia, to take her decisions, she was submissive to her father and never rebelled. This made her raise an inner anger. There were women who accepted as good and right to obey to a father (who represented the mentality of that time) but others weren't able to do it: Lia escaped and Noemi has this inner rage and she seems always angry.
Another thing about the mentality of that period: if a relative made something wrong it was a shame for the whole family.
Why do you think that that quote is sexist? On the contrary, she is saying that two persons who are free and love each other must stay together (or marry). She talks about the salvation of Grixendia because the girl was suffering because of this love seen that he never asked her to marry him. They usually married very soon without a long engagement because relatives knew that two young persons full of passions wouldn't stay for a long time hand in hand and for them, believers, it was a sin to make love before marriage. If something like this would happen the reputation of the girl was damaged (yes, this is sexist because the reputation of the man wouldn't have been ruined by premarital sex).
There could be underlined the diversity of class seen that just before that quote Noemi says that Pottoi hadn't to allow that her granddaughter, from a poor family, felt in love with a man that descended from a noble family.
There is sexims in the behavior of Giacinto because he doesn't allow now Grixendia to go barefoot or to go working.
But, yes, Deledda puts the mentality of the people and of that time in every behavior.
I don't have an opinion about donna Ruth. She hasn't talked a lot till now and at the end of chapter IX she dies.
Giacinto's behavior is really irritating. I don't think he is a bad person, he is only immature and irresponsible.You are right. But then, the problem is with me. I feel myself one with the three Ladies and I feel for them when Giacinto does something to hurt them. It was a comment I made purely out of my personal involvement in the plot. Of course, people do not always behave as we would want them to behave. Only that I find it difficult to accept the truth.
I don't have an opinion about donna Ruth. She hasn't talked a lot till now and at the end of chapter IX she dies.
I liked your opinion about Noemi. And I think according to the same logic we can also be able to get a glimpse of Ruth's character. When Noemi gives vent to her emotions Ruth suppresses them. She hides her emotions in her heart. The disappointments, the helplessness, the 'shame', the love for the family, all such feelings remain closed in her heart and when it is too much to bear the heart exploded. If only she had exploded like Noemi she would have survived.
About that quote being sexist: I think I saw it as a general statement and you saw it as a particular statement. That is, I thought that it was claimed that the salvation of a woman depended on a marriage. But you placed it in the particular context of the novel in which Grixendia was dying of love. May be, I read too much into it.
Dhanaraj wrote: "I feel myself one with the three Ladies and I feel for them when Giacinto does something to hurt them. It was a comment I made purely out of my personal involvement in the plot. Of course, people do not always behave as we would want them to behave. Only that I find it difficult to accept the truth."In part I agree with you and also in my opinion Ruth died because of all the sorrow and the shame of the situation.
From one side I feel sorry for Giacinto because he is a weak person, a coward who makes always the same mistakes (with the last money he received he had to go to Nuoro looking for a work but he played and lost again, this is really stupid and immature). I try always to justify the mistakes of the persons looking at their past for what they had to bear, I feel roughly always compassion for everybody.
But from the other side I would slap him because of his behavior. He should be more determined and stop behaving in a irresponsabile way hurting his aunts.
So I'm halfway between slapping him sending him away and giving him trust and helping. Perhaps it's because of this that I like Efix the most because I can relate to his behavior and feelings.
I think Giacinto will completely ruin the family though I hope he starts working and helping the aunts.
I feel also sorry for Efix because he really wanted to protect the three sisters and now he feels powerless because he trusted Giacinto feeling sorry for his past. He sees that Giacinto's behavior is due to past suffering and so he feels compassion. It's the same I feel.
I hope that in the book the reader will read the letter that Lia sent to Noemi. I'm really curious to read what she wrote to her sister.
I hope that in the book the reader will read the letter that Lia sent to Noemi. I'm really curious to read what she wrote to her sister. I too am curious. But I am not sure whether the reader will get to know of the contents. For I have completed now the 12th chapter and still no sign of it.
Where are you at present? I do not want to spoil your reading by proposing my opinions on these chapters.
P. S. I too felt exactly like you to giving some slaps for Giacinto. Lol...
Dhanaraj wrote: "I hope that in the book the reader will read the letter that Lia sent to Noemi. I'm really curious to read what she wrote to her sister. I too am curious. But I am not sure whether the reader wil..."
You read fast!
I always wait to see where you are before continue reading so I'm still at chapter 9.
I think I will continue this evening because now I must go away and won't turn back till late.
Don't worry, if you want to add your opinions do it. You always write at the beginning of the post where you are so if I see "finished chapter XII" I won't read your post till I haven't read the chapters.
You read fast!I take it as a compliment. But to say the truth, I am always bit anxious of lagging behind you. I think that you might be waiting for me to catch up.
Anyway, I am planning to finish the novel this weekend or maximum by Monday.
Completed the XII chapter.Some observations:
On Efix: A new revelation and I think I can understand him better now as to why he is too anxious to see his patrons in good times.
On Noemi: She seems to be an interesting character. When life turns 'rosy' she does not seem to be that interested. I hope more of it is revealed in the coming chapters.
Two interesting quotes.
1. "La vita passa e noi la lasciamo passare come l'aqua del fiume, e solo quando manca ci accorgiamo che manca."
2. "Basta vivere senza peccare."
"Questo è il difficile, anima mia! Come guadare il fiume senza bagnarsi?" -
Dhanaraj wrote: "You read fast!I take it as a compliment. But to say the truth, I am always bit anxious of lagging behind you. I think that you might be waiting for me to catch up.
Anyway, I am planning to finis..."
It is, because Italian isn't your mother tongue.
No, not at all, on the contrary. I think that reading it slowly, and talking about it, helps me to enjoy it much more. If I had read it in a hurry and alone I am sure I would have liked it lesser than I do reading it with you.
Dhanaraj wrote: "On Efix: A new revelation and I think I can understand him better now as to why he is too anxious to see his patrons in good times."Yes, me too though I think that it isn't his guilt if the Pintor sisters live in that way. I can understand his point of view because if their father was still alive they would have lived in a different and surely better way, but I also think that Efix shouldn't feel so much in guilt. I don't think that there is a punishment from God like he believes.
Perhaps Noemi is too proud or she wants to punish herself for something. It is as if she thinks that she doesn't reserve happiness. Will see in the next chapters!
Me too, I liked a lot the first quote and it is so true. It happens often that we have some regrets when it is too late.
The second one is half true, in my opinion. It is true, it is difficult to live without a sin, roughly impossible but I don't like the similitude with the river: we can watch a river and never get wet if we decide to not enter it. But this means that we don't live, that we always live on the edge without being touched by life.
Ok! Writing this I understood the quote :D
If we want to live, really live, not like mummies, we must also reckon the sin. If we never sin we are saints or we are too scared to live, to enter the river. We are all humans and, who more who less, everybody has a sin to confess (though it doesn't mean that we are bad persons). What do you think about this?
I loved your explanation for the second quote. That was very much revealing. This is one reason why I enjoy the Readalongs. Reading this along with an Italian has really helped me in many aspects.About Noemi: In the novel if everyone seems to be the Reed in the Wind she alone stands like a firm rooted tree. That is what is very interesting of her. Or at least that is what I have found of her as of now.
About Efix' guilt: I agree with you that he should not be much worried about the past actions. On the other hand, when we look at it from the point of view of an ordinary villager I think that makes sense. Deledda makes us aware of the simple people's logic like why and for what there is suffering and what is my part in it? When he could find no human reason he attributes it to God. What do you think?
I think that reading it slowly, and talking about it, helps me to enjoy it much more.It is very much true. Reading it slowly and sharing the opinions of the characters enrich the reading experience.
Dhanaraj wrote: "I loved your explanation for the second quote. That was very much revealing. This is one reason why I enjoy the Readalongs. Reading this along with an Italian has really helped me in many aspects...."
Thanks ;)
I hadn't this feeling about the characters, that they are like reeds in the wind. For me their lives are like reeds in the wind, they never know what will happen and have up and downs. Perhaps Noemi is stronger but only in the surface; inside her she has a lot of reeds in the wind, more than others!
About Efix' guilt: I agree with you that he should not be much worried about the past actions. On the other hand, when we look at it from the point of view of an ordinary villager I think that makes sense. Deledda makes us aware of the simple people's logic like why and for what there is suffering and what is my part in it? When he could find no human reason he attributes it to God. What do you think
Yes, it happens often that people blame God. I don't think God is bad and punishes people. Shouldn't he be the embodiment of love? If a person loves you he would never hurt you or punish you. Unfortunately this sense of guilt, of a God that observes you, that punishes is very strong in Catholicism. Of course not every catholic thinks this, but a lot of them do it; it happened much more in old times. Here I would like to do a longer discussion about why Catholics live in the fear of God and, as usual, it isn't God's fault but of the bad Church, above all old popes of the past that didn't want to lose believers and so they inculcated this fear in the persons. I think you know about this. For example, a lot of people still think that babies that aren't baptized go nowhere or in a kind of limbo. In this way all the persons baptized their children because they were scared of this. Of course God never said something like this, it has been a pope I don't remember when. Some time ago, I think pope Ratzinger, said the truth, that also not baptized babies go to heaven.
By the way, you should read The Grand Inquisitor. It is a chapter of The Brothers Karamazov but this chapter could stand alone and it can be read also without the rest of the book (though it is the magnus opus of Dostoyevsky and it is a must read). Well, in this chapter Jesus comes back on earth, an inquisitor sees him and puts him in a prison telling him to go away, nobody must see him. Why? Because people, though they say they believe in God, they would kill him for the second time. It is wonderful, read it.
In those times people lived in fear of God and sometimes it seems to me that they are believers only because of this fear and not because they feel it in their heart. Have you noted how faith is mixed with superstition? A true believer shouldn't be superstitious.
The bordering line between faith and superstition is very blurring. I think that is what is portrayed in this novel by Deledda.The question of an innocent suffering has always been a big question mark. The answers are not easily available or even if available (God is good and we do not know how He acts) the ordinary person searches for a reason. He needs a reason to hold onto to go ahead in his life. That is where the superstition and other elements come into play. In those days when no one could understand heart attack they called it as an attack of a fantasma. They consoled themselves seeing the dead living in their children.
The faith when it is institutionalized it comes under many errors as the normal human beings take up the administration work. It has always been the case. I do agree that The Church went over board at times with its comments and teachings. But then there is always time to teach the right belief (Pope Benedict's affirmation about the unbaptized children).
I will look into the book of the Russian literary Giant.
Dhanaraj wrote: "The bordering line between faith and superstition is very blurring. I think that is what is portrayed in this novel by Deledda."I agree, I think people start being superstitious when they can't find all the answers in their faith. But superstition is very deep-rooted in Italy and also very old. Everybody of us does something superstitious (for example "le corna") because it is part of our being.
The question of an innocent suffering has always been a big question mark. The answers are not easily available or even if available (God is good and we do not know how He acts) the ordinary person searches for a reason. He needs a reason to hold onto to go ahead in his life.
There is an answer: karma. It isn't God's fault, it is our assembled karma. But I understand that also this is a reason a human mind needs in order to accept things that happen. At the end everyone chooses the reason that seems him more credible and with whom he lives better.
Just an info: Karma was also used to justify caste based divisions and the subsequent sufferings of the so called 'low caste' person. It was his Karma in the past life that he is born a scavenger and only by doing that job all through his life he can escape the cycle of Karma. And in India the job of a scavenger is always looked down and they are treated as almost nothing at all and worst is manual scavenging. Superstition is found everywhere in the world. In India we have them in abundance. They are also abundant in Africa and in Scandinavia.
Dhanaraj wrote: "Just an info: Karma was also used to justify caste based divisions and the subsequent sufferings of the so called 'low caste' person. It was his Karma in the past life that he is born a scavenger a..."Yes, sometimes karma induces to a passive acceptance though it shouldn't be this way because with good actions we can improve our karma. But at least if we have a bad karma we don't blame God but only ourselves and we know that life after life we will reach moksha.
Isn't the problem of the castes due to a wrong interpretation of the Veda by the brahmins? (or a interpretation for their own convenience) I don't know a lot about it.
I didn't want to compare religions to find out the better one; it was only an example to say that for a sad life every person tries to find a reason in order to accept it and every religion gives a different reason. I think in all religions are good and bad things and the best religion is the one that fits for us.
dely, I did not mean to defend a religion. I only wanted you to be aware of the other side of Karma as I thought you may not be aware of it. But then, I realize that you are better informed than I thought. Let us not enter into the interpretation of Brahmins of Vedas or caste related issues as it would lead us astray from Sardegna of Deleda. For to talk about caste in India is a very vast topic. And moreover I think that you are in the know of it already.
Dhanaraj wrote: "dely, I did not mean to defend a religion. I only wanted you to be aware of the other side of Karma as I thought you may not be aware of it. But then, I realize that you are better informed than I ..."Me the same! :D
I didn't want you to think that I'm only for one religion (though Hinduism can't be considered a religion, it is much more a way of living, it's Sanatana Dharma). To tell the truth I'm not that into religions; I prefer the spiritual side of them.
That is right. I get your point. By the way, where are you in the book? I have completed the XV chapter and I intend to finish the novel today? What is your position?
I finished right now chapter XV.I really didn't like these last three chapters, there are a lot of things I don't understand.
First of all the discussion among Efix and Giacinto. What are they talking about? That Giacinto was in love with Noemi and she too loved him? I really couldn't understand anything because everything was so unclear.
Another thing I don't understand is why Efix started to be a beggar. I understand he wanted to do penitence for the past murder but I find it a strange decision seen that he loved the Pintor sisters and his croft and wanted to take care of them.
I also couldn't understand why he was irritated by the blind beggar that told Gospel stories to the people. There is nothing wrong in this.
And I couldn't understand why he was happy when the false blind beggar stole his money. Perhaps he saw in this a punishment of God for his sins?
For me these were three strange chapters.
Ok, will finish today the book!
About the conversation between Efix and Giacinto: I think that Giacinto and Noemi were in love as well. Giacinto runs away from the place to avoid further consequences. And it was this that was impeding Noemi to accept the hand of Predu. Let us also remember that Grixendia and her grandma Pottoi were also aware of this fact.I think that Efix decides to be a begger in order not to be a burden to Giacinto. Also I think that he left his patrons because having received the NO of Noemi he is depressed. For he had thought that the life was turning for good to his patrons. But Noemi refuses it. And if his running away would demonstrate that they could depend on no one, Noemi would realise the need for accepting the hand of Predu. He only decives himself saying that it is an act of penitence or may be he combines both his intentions.
About his irritation about the begger's story telling: I think as a normal man (a good christian) he thought that the blind man used the Bible stories not as Bible stories but as a means to his earning. He did not like the way he used the Bible for his own good. This is what I think.
When the false blind beggar stole the money and ran away he was happy that he was free from one of the two weights that he was carrying. For he had already begun to think of leaving them. And he was waiting for an opportunity. He took the escape of the false blind beggar as a God's blessing.
I think these three chapters are with allusions. The Bible stories are all allusions of the way men live. How the Gold/Wealth became God and for which even people and relatives kill each other is an allusion of the life of his own patrons. Even the story of King Solomon and The Queen of Sheba is another illusion that even when there is richness there will always be sufferings and disturbances of the hearts. The fact of his being as a beggar who goes everywhere in search of money itself is an allusion. We live exactly like that moving from place to place and looking for money and wealth. But then the salvation is in LIVING FOR THE OTHERS and BEING HAPPY WITH ONESELF.
By the way, I finished the book and I love it. May be the last two chapters helped me to understand the chapters properly. I will wait for your reply after having completed the book.
Dhanaraj wrote: "About the conversation between Efix and Giacinto: I think that Giacinto and Noemi were in love as well. Giacinto runs away from the place to avoid further consequences. And it was this that was imp..."Ok, so I understood it though it isn't very clear in the book.
And if his running away would demonstrate that they could depend on no one, Noemi would realise the need for accepting the hand of Predu. He only decives himself saying that it is an act of penitence or may be he combines both his intentions.
I would have never thought about this. I thought that perhaps he felt useless to the Pintor sisters and also useless for Giacinto and so he didn't want to turn back because he felt to be like a burden for them. As if he hadn't been able to help the sisters and so he didn't reserve to stay by their side. But also because he felt guilty and ashamed for having murdered their father and he felt their poverty was his fault.
About his irritation about the begger's story telling: I think as a normal man (a good christian) he thought that the blind man used the Bible stories not as Bible stories but as a means to his earning. He did not like the way he used the Bible for his own good. This is what I think.
I think you are right, it makes sense.
I think these three chapters are with allusions... But then the salvation is in LIVING FOR THE OTHERS and BEING HAPPY WITH ONESELF.
The only thing I understood clearly is when someone (perhaps Giacinto) said that happiness is not in richness. Also through Efix's observations of the people during his wandering we can understand that there are also rich people who can be sad and poor people who can be happy with the few they have.
For me there were too much allusions :D
I have finished the book. For me it was painful to finish. I think that if I hadn't read it with you I would have given up already after the first two chapters. Everything is so slow in the book, not everything was clear, I found some behaviors really stupid (Grixenda that waited only because of a promise and Noemi that was angry and refused Don Predu's proposal only because he had sent a servant!). I know that those were different times but I was irritated by their behavior. Didn't also like Deledda's writing style, too much descriptions for my taste. I will give the book only two stars because I was able to finish it but I didn't like it.
In my book there is an Afterword or Nota al Testo. It is very interesting. If you want I can send it to you after scanning it through mail. If so send me a message with your e-mai ID. For my part, I loved the book and it is a four star book.
Mod
But it made a big impression on me, maybe because it depicts a land which I feel mine - even if I've never lived there, only gone there for the summer holidays...
That Sardinia is not naymore, but it was as depicted up to 40/50 years ago.
I haven't known it, but it is like the one my mom used to describe me telling family stories ...
Laura T: Thanks for the info. Yes, one can perceive that the Sardegna of Deledda has changed a lot after nearly a century. May be, that is another reason why Deledda is to be valued for she captured the situation of the then Sardegna in her written works.
