| Yambo, a 60ish antiquarian bookseller in Milan, awakens from a mysterious coma to discover that he has no memory of himself. He can recall every poem, novel, or comic book he has ever read, but his wife, best friend, and daughters remain strangers to him. Although he remembers the ins and outs of the book-dealing business, his business partner, the Polish woman with whom he may have had an affair, is also a blur. In an attempt to retore his memory by spending time in familiar settings, Yambo returns to his family's home at Solara. There, he spends 8 days in the attic, reading the documents that were a vital part of his past - a past he cannot recall. He plays the records that he heard as a child, and rereads comic books put out by the Fascist government. What he reclaims, frustratingly, is not his own experience, but that of his entire generation.
Yambo discovers the poems he wrote as an adolescent, all of which mention a beautiful girl. This prompts him to interrogate his best friend, who tells him of his first love. It is only then that Yambo begins to reclaim memories that are his very own. His past mixes with the comic books he has recently read as Yambo reexperiences his adolescence as a feverish dream. But now that he has his memories, can he ever recover? | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book? - thoughtful Time/era of story - 1930's-1950's Romance/Romance Problems Yes Kind of romance: Internal struggle/realization? Yes Struggle over Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 60's-90's Ethnicity/Nationality Main Adversary Identity: - natural phenomena Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 () Europe Yes European country: - Italy Small town? Yes Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee Writing Style Sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - touching of anatomy - actual description of hetero sex - Boob talk! Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog |
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