The Sun of Scortas / Laurent Gaudé / Prix Goncourt in 2004
The action is happening in the remote village and forgot to Montepuccio lazily lying on crushed sun scrubland exhaling fragrance stones, laurels and dolives. Boors beings torn by various passions, inhabited superstitions of another age, animated of a clannishness, ruthless, stubborn and proud but ultimately so human séchinent overcome a difficult life made all poverty, hate, frustration, but also damour.
All in a sober style, like the rocky landscape, but also sensual and charged with emotion contained. The author manages to make us sympathetic a few of these simple beings, tortured and passionate, sometimes inhabited by a kind of madness and whose lives are most often swept by the wind of misfortune.
The confession of Carmela daughter of Rocco comes alternately substitute for the action of the story itself, and sheds a different light on the whole story.
The banquet scene of the Scortas trabucco is a great time for this story: it will be the only time in their lives when they will all be together as a family.
Each character in this saga has a secret that he has concealed all his life and that he will unveil at the time of death.
On the evening of their life, and the gift Elia Salvator priest facing the essential existential questions: a great moment of this poignant and moving story.
