First published 2012
Marcovaldo, a poor city laborer, escapes his dreary urban life by seeking solace in the natural world. In a series of humorous vignettes, he stumbles upon unexpected moments of beauty and wonder, from mushrooms sprouting in the sidewalk to snow blanketing the metropolis. But his fleeting joys are often cut short by the harsh realities of his circumstances, as he clashes with the demands of his job and the indifference of the modern city. Through Marcovaldo's eyes, we witness the profound yet fragile connection between man and nature, even in the most unlikely of settings.
Genres: literary-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, adult-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, man-vs-society
Setting: Italy
Period: 20th-Century
130 pages · Kindle Edition · Mariner Books