‘Valentino’ by Natalia Ginzburg (translated by Avril Bardoni)

Fiction – paperback; Daunt Books; 80 pages; 2023. Translated from the Italian by Avril Bardoni.

What is it to be a “man of consequence”? And what happens if you don’t live up to that descriptor?

This is the focus of Natalia Ginzburg’s Valentino, the tale of a much-doted-upon son who fails to live up to his parents’ expectations.

The titular Valentino, the only son of a retired school teacher, is lazy, vain and selfish. But there’s more to his story than meets the eye, and what is left unsaid in this carefully crafted novella, first published in 1957, is almost more important than what is.

A man of consequence

Valentino’s family has made many sacrifices to ensure he can go to medical school and buy all the necessary books and equipment to support his studies. When his father proudly states that this will make his son a “man of consequence”, what he really means is that he is counting on Valentino to lift them out of poverty and boost their social standing.

So it’s somewhat of a shock when Valentino finds a shortcut to riches by announcing he is betrothed to a wealthy older woman called Maddalena. The family are upset because they believe Valentino is getting married for the wrong reasons.

‘That woman is as ugly as sin,’ said my mother quietly. ‘She’s grotesque, Valentino. And since she boasts about being wealthy, everyone will assume that you are marrying her for her money. That’s what we think too, Valentino, because we cannot believe that you are in love with her, you who always used to chase the pretty girls, none of whom was ever pretty enough for you. Nothing like this has ever happened in our family before; not one of us has ever done anything just for money.” (page 11)

His older sister, Clara — who is married with three young children — is so angry about the situation, she calls him a dog under her breath.

But despite his family’s opposition, Valentino can’t see what the problem is — he thinks Maddalena “has lovely black eyes and the bearing of a lady”.

He was bored of all those pretty girls with nothing to talk about, while with Maddalena he could talk about books and a hundred other things. He wasn’t marrying her for her money; he was no pig. (page 12)

He settles into his new married life as if he were born into it and is at ease among Maddalena’s wealthy friends as he is his own family.

A caring daughter-in-law

And while his parents struggle to readjust — his father has a debt hanging over his head because he took out a loan to ensure the family was suitably attired at Valentino’s wedding — Maddalena proves to be a caring and thoughtful daughter-in-law.

When she finds out that Clara’s young son is sick, she arranges costly medical care for him. Later, she offers lodgings to Valentino’s younger sister Catarina, so that she can continue her teacher training studies. And all the while she runs her busy agricultural interests, continues to pay for Valentino’s long-dragged-out (neglected) medical studies, buys him lavish clothes, and bears him three sons.

But she keeps him at arm’s length and soon the quarrels start, where she accuses him of being a “layabout and a failure”.

Sister’s perspective

It is through Catarina’s eyes that we see how events unfold. She’s the put-upon daughter who looks after her parents and gives up any hope of finding a husband of her own. But as much as she’s disappointed by Valentino — she constantly worries that he’s not devoted to his studies and will fail his exams — she still loves him very much.

Without wishing to reveal plot spoilers, the story is neatly, and shockingly, upended in quite a profoundly unexpected way.

It’s a delicious treat of a book, written in Ginzburg’s typically understated but direct style. She’s so perceptive about family life, human behaviour and societal expectations, and every page offers up something frank and forthright. And she’s adroit at mixing the bittersweet with the poignant, with a dash of Italian fury thrown in for good measure.

Claire at Word by Word has also just reviewed this.

I have previously reviewed Giznburg’s All Our Yesterdays and The Dry Heart.

I read this book as part of Reading Independent Publishers Month 4 #ReadIndies, hosted by Lizzy and Kaggsy. This event, which runs throughout February, is designed to showcase the books published by independent publishers across the world.

Daunt Books Publishing, which was founded in 2010, grew out of Daunt Books, an independent chain of bookshops in London and the South-East of the UK. You can find out more about them here.