During a war against the Turks in Bohemia, a young nobleman, Viscount Medardo of Terralba, is split down the middle by a cannonball. One half, a malicious and cruel figure, goes home and terrorises his domain, until the other half, a pious and sickly-sweet one, returns and makes everyone equally miserable with excess kindness. A narrator, the viscount's nephew, tells how a doctor and a girl finally bring the two sides back together.
The first book in Calvino's trilogy The Our Ancestors, it is a short fable for those who like imaginative stories with a moral. It is witty and quick to read.
Deep, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1952
- Language
- EN
