Massimo Bontempelli was a prolific writer of poetry, plays, and novels who coined the term "magical realism." For The Faithful Lover, he won Italy's highest literary award, the Premio Strega. Bontempelli now occupies a major place in 20th century Italian letters, and his writings have been translated into many languages. Gilson's translation of Umberto Saba's "Stories and Recollection" won both the Italo Calvino and PEN Renato Poggioli awards, and the MLA's first Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione award in 1994 as the best literary translation of the previous two years. Her fiction, essays and articles appear in many publications. She previously translated Bontempelli's "Separations" (McPherson, 2004).
Praise for Massimo Bontempelli and The Chess Set in the Mirror"This whimsical Italian fantasy, originally published in 1922, belongs on the shelf next to The Little Prince and Alice and Wonderland. Simple language by translator Gilson gives the novel a poetic tone, while STO's charming black-and-white illustrations add humor."--VOYA"[A] story told in a voice that's charmingly direct, sweetly self-referential...and more than a little trippy...Like all good books for children, it also has unusual insights into childhood itself: '...when you're ten years old, standing or sitting are exactly the same.'"--Philadelphia Inquirer"The narrator's dry wit, reminiscent of P. G. Wodehouse, makes for an appealing journey and, coupled with the whimsical pen-and-ink drawings, a charming package with a timeless air."--Publishers Weekly"Motherhood is the theme of these two intimate novellas by Italian writer Bontempelli, who preceded such better-known authors of 'magic realism' as Jorge Luis Borges and Alejo Carpentier by more than two decades in his fusion of the miraculous and the matter-of-fact...The elegantly restrained passion of these two tales, penned in Bontempelli's delicate prose, proves yet again the writer's literary genius."--Publishers Weekly (review of Separations)"Separations is a complete triumph. Bontempelli's work prefigured the magic realism popularized by many Latin American writers, andSeparations is an excellent example of this style. Elegant, superbly crafted, and masterfully written, these tales are not easily forgotten; the heroines are haunting and the plots finely honed. Bontempelli is truly a 'fantastic' writer."--Library Journal (review of Separations)
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