The Day Before Happiness
The Day Before Happiness by Erri De Luca, published by Allen Lane in 2016, is a literary work that spans 114 pages. This edition presents a poignant narrative centered around a young orphan boy growing up in Naples, where he navigates the complexities of his environment through football and exploration. His solitary existence is punctuated by his relationship with Don Gaetano, the apartment caretaker, who introduces him to the game of scopa and shares stories that reveal the rich tapestry of Naples’ history.
Readers will find a lyrical exploration of friendship and identity as the boy’s life is forever altered by a chance encounter with a girl at a window. The narrative unfolds with the simplicity of a fairy tale while capturing the intensity of memory, reflecting on the themes of urban life and personal growth. The Day Before Happiness invites readers to delve into the essence of what shapes us, set against the backdrop of a vibrant city and its hidden secrets.
Official synopsis Publisher
‘Happiness – was it right to name it without knowing it? It sounded shameless in my mouth, like when someone shows off about knowing a celebrity and just uses their first name, saying Marcello when they really mean Mastroianni …’
A young orphan boy grows up in Naples, playing football, roaming the city’s streets and hidden places. The older boys call him ‘monkey’ because he can climb anywhere. He is alone, apart from Don Gaetano, the apartment caretaker, who feeds him, teaches him to play scopa, and tells him stories about women, history and the dark secrets of Naples’ past. Then one day the boy sees a young girl standing at a window. It is an encounter that will haunt his life for years and, eventually, shape his destiny.
Lyrical and exuberant, told with the simplicity of a fairy tale and the intensity of a memory, The Day Before Happiness is the story of friendship, a city and what makes us who we are.
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