Don Camillo of la Bassa: 10

La Bassa is the home of Don Camillo and Peppone, the lowland plain on the banks of Italy’s Po River where their hilarious goings-on are set. Their creator first saw the light of day in la Bassa in 1908 and returned to live there in 1952. The following few years were among the happiest in his life: it was a time when Guareschi was wholly in tune with the spirit of the place and when most of the present stories were written. ‘You need to realise,’ he wrote, ‘that in this bit of land between the river and the mountains, things can happen that do not happen anywhere else: things which are always in tune with the landscape. The air you breathe here is special, inspiring both the living and the dead; and even the dogs have souls…’ Soon we are able to understand Don Camillo and Peppone. And we are not surprised that il Cristo speaks from the crucifix high above the altar of the village church, or that one man can split the head of another like a pumpkin, but do it honestly: by which he means, without hatred. And two enemies can discover that, in the end, they agree on everything that matters. Many of these stories were published in Italy under the equivocal title, People Like Us . There is a strong affinity between Guareschi’s fictional characters and the real people of la Bassa. And we like them not least because their lives espouse an instinctive humanity and fundamental compassion. ‘So shrewd a glimpse into the minds of the people…’ London Evening News ‘Absolutely delightful in their satirical swipes at human weakness.’ Paul Merton | ASIN : B0CHL96XHC | ISBN13 : 9781900064651.0 | ISBN-13 : 978-1900064651