Born twice from Giuseppe Pontiggia

Original Language: Italian

Títutulu Original: Born twice

Year of publication: 2000

Translation: Elena de Grau Aznar

Valoración: between recommended and Alright

Giuseppe Pontiggia was an Italian writer, in addition to literary and teacher critic, who enjoyed a certain predicament in Spain (I suppose that in his country, even more) at the end of the last century, but of which, who died more than twenty years ago, it seems that there is not talk too much today. There is no more, therefore, remember it in this famous and influential blog without grandmother, and a good reason for it is this Born twiceone of his last books, which deals with the experiences of a father with a disabled son due to a cerebral paralysis – dystonic spastic trays, to be exact – and his relationship with him, although not only. Moreover, the book is truffled with reflections – sometimes almost aphorisms – on different topics, such as the different educational strategies

sexual harassment or, simply, reactions, prejudices, doubts and other human behaviors.In fact, it is these observations, sometimes prolific, about the character and behavior of the people that the father/narrator finds in the journey that means raising his son -from the director of the school to the teacher, through different doctors and therapists -which seems Own father recognizes that whoever most dealt with the kid during his childhood was the mother, helped by grandmothers and grandfather; The case is that

EU, although it is true that these comments and even digressions are very interesting often successful, one cannot avoid asking, during the first third or even half of the book, which passes with the son, which we only know indirectly. This impression is corrected, however, later. It could be assumed that we are faced with a work of self -fiction, since Pontiggia was also a professor, such as The protagonist/narrator And, above all, he had a son with that same disability. Now, there are details that tell us that the book, with having enough of “auto-“, has more than “-fiction”; For example, neither the boy, neither the mother nor the narrator themselves are called as their models in real life. And, above all, in the

The boy the boy -paolo, while the author’s son is Andrea -has a brother -he says of him -, which in real life did not happen. Or that the father has a lover, something that, if happened in reality, I suppose that Pontiggia would not have confessed so happily in a book. In fact, the writer himself, according to his widow, insisted on the novelistic character of the book (logically, if he wanted to hide a slip, he will say some … but let’s not be poorly thought out, that Pontiggia had a good person’s face). Anyway, that the book can be summarized, above all, in the life lessons that the narrator -occupies, well … alter ego

From the author, if he wants to learn from dealing with his son and from the battle of both and all the family to face the disability – in truth, of the jealous brother, not much, since we do not know anything more about him either. We can assume that it is raised alone, the poor kid-as well as the teachings and reflections caused by the deal with the neighbor, following this particular circumstance, it is understood … that is, the elucubrations of a writer who, if it were someone more undocumented than Giuseppe Pontiggia, would be superfluous and may even be irritating, but that, in this case, in this case, in this case, in this case, in this case desire and pleasure.