''Racconti romani'' (''Roman Tales'') is a series of sixty-one

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

written by the Italian author,

Alberto Moravia Alberto Moravia ( , ; born Alberto Pincherle ; 28 November 1907 – 26 September 1990) was an Italian novelist and journalist. His novels explored matters of modern sexuality, social alienation and existentialism. Moravia is best known for his d ...

. Written and published initially in the Italian newspaper, '' Il Corriere della Sera'', they were published as a collection in 1954 by Bompiani. All of the stories are set in Rome or its surroundings after World War II and focus on 'the common people of Rome' (''Roma popolana'').Rai Radiofonia – Radioscrigno
The characters in these stories tend to be the unemployed, ex-convicts, waiters, drivers, con artists, thieves and petty criminals, the average man (or woman) and the lower classes aspiring to climb out of poverty. All the stories are told in the first person with the narrator often unnamed, although details are usually furnished to provide a clue to the narrator's identity, such as their occupation, motivations and social status. Moravia's ''Racconti Romani'' provide a snapshot on life in Rome after World War II, revealing much about the inhabitants of Rome in the early 1950s.

Titles of the short stories

Below is a list of the names of the short stories that comprise the ''Racconti Romani''. Their order is the same presented in volume 3, tome 1 of Alberto Moravia's, ''Opere'' (), a multi-volume set containing all of Moravia's writings published by Bompiani in 2000: * Fanatico (The Fanatic) * Arrivederci * Pioggia di maggio (Rain in May) * Non approfondire (Don't Delve Too Deeply . . .) * La bella serata * Scherzi del caldo (Hot Weather Jokes) * La controfigura * Il pagliaccio (The Clown) * Il biglietto falso * Il camionista (The Lorry-Driver) * Il pensatore * Scorfani * Il mediatore (The Go-Between) * Il pupo (The Baby) * Il delitto perfetto (The Perfect Crime) * Il picche nicche * La voglia di vino * Prepotente per forza * Sciupone * La giornata nera * I gioielli (Jewellery) * Tabù (Taboo) * Io non dico di no (I Don't say no . . .) * L'inconsciente * Il provino * Il pignolo * La ciociara (The Girl from Ciociaria) * Impataccato * Scherzi di ferragosto * Il terrore di Roma (The Terror of Rome) * L'amicizia (Friendship) * La rovina dell'umanità (The Ruin of Humanity) * Perdipiede * Vecchio stupido (Silly Old Fool) * Caterina * La parola mamma * Gli occhiali (A Pair of Spectacles) * Il cane cinese * Mario (Mario) * Gli amici senza soldi * Bu bu bu * Ladri in chiesa * Precisamente a te * Faccia di mascalzone * Un uomo sfortunato * Tirato a sorte * Pigliati un brodo * La vita in campagna * Le sue giornate * La gita * La rivincita di Tarzan * Romolo e Remo (Romulus and Remus) * Faccia da norcino * L'appetito (Appetite) * L'infermiera (The Nurse) * Il tesoro (The Treasure) * La concorrenza * Bassetto * Il guardiano (The Caretaker) * Il naso (The Nose) * Il godipoco

In translation

A handful of Moravia's ''Racconti Romani'' were published in an English translation, entitled ''Roman Tales'', in 1957 by Farrar, Straus and Cudahy. Unfortunately, this collection of translated stories is no longer in print but can be found in dozens of libraries worldwide or on the used book market.

In print

Moravia's ''Racconti Romani'' are still in print and are available from Bompiani as part of the mult-volume set, ''Opere'' (), published in 2000. The stories themselves were republished in 2001 from Bompiani, entitled ''Racconti Romani'' (). Both editions are currently in print.

Radio broadcasts

Ten of Moravia's ''Racconti Romani'' were converted into radio broadcasts by RAI television in 1959 (see link below to ''Romolo e Remo''). With the advent of audiobooks, several Italian publishing entities have released audiobooks of these short stories. *
Pioggia di Maggio
' *
Romolo e Remo
'

Film adaptations

Moravia's ''Racconti Romani'' has been adapted into film three times. The first, in 1954, in the film ''

Too Bad She's Bad ''Too Bad She's Bad'' ( it, Peccato che sia una canaglia) is a 1955 Italian comedy directed by Alessandro Blasetti. It stars Sophia Loren and is based on Alberto Moravia's story "Fanatico", from his ''Racconti Romani''. It was shot at the Cine ...

'' directed by

Alessandro Blasetti Alessandro Blasetti (3 July 1900 – 1 February 1987) was an Italian film director and screenwriter who influenced Italian neorealism with the film ''Quattro passi fra le nuvole''. Blasetti was one of the leading figures in Italian cinema during ...

with

Sophia Loren Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress. She was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars of Classical Hollywood ci ...

and

Marcello Mastroianni Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (28 September 1924 – 19 December 1996) was an Italian film actor, regarded as one of his country's most iconic male performers of the 20th century. He played leading roles for many of Italy's top di ...

, adapting the story, ''Fanatico''. Moravia's stories were used again in 1955 under director

Gianni Franciolini Gianni Franciolini (1 June 1910 – 1 January 1960) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 19 films between 1939 and 1959. Life and career Born in Florence, in 1929 he moved to Paris to study journalism; there he came ...

starring

Totò Antonio Griffo Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno Porfirogenito Gagliardi de Curtis di Bisanzio (15 February 1898 – 15 April 1967), best known by his stage name Totò (), or simply as Antonio de Curtis, and nicknamed ''il Principe della risata ...

Vittorio De Sica Vittorio De Sica ( , ; 7 July 1901 – 13 November 1974) was an Italian film director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement. Four of the films he directed won Academy Awards: ''Sciuscià'' and ''Bicycle Thieves'' (honorary) ...

, and

Giovanna Ralli Giovanna Ralli, (born 2 January 1935), is an Italian stage, film and television actress. Life and career Born in Rome, Ralli debuted as a child actress at 7; at 13 she made her theatrical debut, entering the stage company of Peppino De Filip ...

, entitled ''

Racconti Romani ''Racconti romani'' (''Roman Tales'') is a series of sixty-one short stories written by the Italian author, Alberto Moravia. Written and published initially in the Italian newspaper, '' Il Corriere della Sera'', they were published as a collectio ...

''. A third film, ''

La giornata balorda ''From a Roman Balcony'' (also known as ''Pickup in Rome'' and ''The Crazy Day'') is a 1960 drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini. It is a co-production between Italy (where it was released as ''La giornata balorda'') and France (where it is know ...

'', filmed in 1960 and directed by

Mauro Bolognini Mauro Bolognini (28 June 1922 – 14 May 2001) was an Italian film and stage director of literate sensibility, known for his masterly handling of period subject matter. Early years Bolognini was born in Pistoia, in the Tuscany region of Italy. ...

, also borrowed from Moravia's stories.

Criticism and interpretation

Below is a list of invaluable sources about Moravia's ''Racconti Romani''—all are in Italian unless otherwise noted: * Camilucci, Marcello. "Roma e i "Racconti romani" di Moravia", ''Studi romani'', 6:5 (1958:sett./ott.) p. 547-561 * Lauta, Gianluca. ''La scrittura di Moravia: lingua e stile dagli Indifferenti ai Racconti romani''. Comunicazione e scienze umane, 1. Milano: F. Angeli, 2005. * Moravia, Alberto, and Piero Cudini. ''Racconti romani''. Tascabili Bompiani. Milano: Bompiani, 2005. (especially introduction by Piero Cudini) * Moravia, Alberto, Rocco Capozzi, and Mario B. Mignone. ''Homage to Moravia''. Filibrary Series, no. 5. Stony Brook, NY: Forum Italicum, 1993.

References

{{reflist

External links

"Racconti Romani"

Alberto Moravia Italian short story collections 1954 short story collections Rome in fiction