![]() The truth they write is ‘Don Benedetto was poisoned.’ We discussed whether anything ought to be added to that, but decided that nothing ought ever to be added to the truth, or it would cease to be the truth. At night they get on their bicycles, take pieces of chalk or charcoal, and go to neighboring villages and write the truth on the walls. In an atmosphere of oppression, three peasant youths respond this way: “ They have formed themselves into a group of writers of the truth. (Major spoiler, watch out.) Don Benedetto is a rebellious priest, beloved by the revolutionaries, who is poisoned by the state. But Bread & Wine is not didactic Silone allows Spina to become less rigidly dogmatic without losing his faith in people and in human liberation. (His standard response is “I’m sorry, but I do not belong to this diocese,” which usually does the trick but doesn’t work as well when he is asked to administer last rites in an emergency.) I am generally put off by “political” novels, and even though I love Orwell’s nonfiction I actually really dislike 1984 and Animal Farm. ![]() Spina disguises himself as a priest, and there is a good deal of comedy in his attempts to avoid having to actually carry out the duties of the priesthood. Because human beings are complicated, many of the peasants do not show much of an interest in rising up. It is about a young revolutionary, Pietro Spina, who returns to his native Italy while it is under fascist rule, in an effort to get the peasants to rise up. I am just finishing reading Ignazio Silone’s wonderful 1936 novel Bread & Wine.It made me feel missed, and gave me motivation! But thank you to the reader who emailed to chastise me for my untimeliness. This feature is semi-weekly: some weeks I remember to do it and other times I fail. In “Stray Thoughts,” I put together musings and jottings that are too underdeveloped or cursory to be turned into full articles.
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