The Path to the Nest of Spiders

The Path to the Nest of Spiders (Italian: Il sentiero dei nidi di ragno) is a 1947 novel by the Italian writer Italo Calvino. The narrative is a coming-of-age story, set against the backdrop of World War II. It was Calvino's first novel.

The Path to the Nest of Spiders
First edition (Italian)
AuthorItalo Calvino
Original titleIl sentiero dei nidi di ragno
TranslatorArchibald Colquhoun
CountryItaly
LanguageItalian
Publication date
1947
Published in English
1957

Plot

Pin, an orphaned cobbler's apprentice in a town on the Ligurian coast, lives with his sister, a prostitute and spends as much time as he can at a seedy bar where he amuses the adult patrons.. After stealing a pistol from a Nazi sailor, Pin searches for an identity with a partisan group. All the while, the people he meets mock him without his knowing. The title refers to Pin's secret hiding place, directions to which he touts as a prize to any adults who win his trust.[1]

Reception

Some critics view the work as unexceptional, on the grounds that it fails to address the issues other than from a very naive perspective; others credit it with being skillfully written and make a virtue of its portrayal of the complex emotions and politics of adults, as seen through the eyes of a child. However one passage about prisoners-of-war being made to dig their own grave before being shot is universally regarded as impressive.

References

  1. "The Path to the Spiders' Nests". {[goodreads.com. 2000-05-30. Retrieved 2020-11-17.

See also


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