The Cafe of Mirrors

by Morandini, Giuliana; Quartermaine, Luisa

• ISBN13: 9780859894692
• ISBN10: 085989469X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-01-01
• Publisher: Univ of Exeter Pr

Summary

Katharina Pollaczek, a young woman of Slav origin, returns to the Italian border city of her youth to fight for the custody of her young son. The narrative charts Katharina's wanderings through the beautiful but decaying streets of this once-great city which is clearly recognisable as Trieste. Casual encounters highlight the pain and difficulty of communication, and her chance arrival at the scene of the murder of a young Serbian woman forces Katharina to contemplate the tragedy of ethnic tension and the crisis of conscience which characterizes an entire generation. This is the first translation into English of this Italian novel and the Introduction by Luisa Quartermaine includes background on the book as well as on Morandini, Trieste and the history of the region.

Author Biography

Giuliana Morandini is one of the most original and significant living Italian writers and her work has been translated into many languages. She was born in Friuli on the Austrian border and now lives in Venice and Rome.  Luisa Quartermaine is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Italian, University of Exeter and has taught Italian literature and culture in Britain for 30 years. Her translation benefits from her special interest in both the period and the setting of the book.