The Mortal Wound

The Mortal Wound (titled in Italian Ferito a Morte) was awarded Italy's much coveted Strega prize by a distinguished jury of critics, artists, and writers. This intricate short novel, which swiftly became one of Italy's favorites, depicts the unhappy love affair of a young Neapolitan who returns in middle age to the place of his youthful experiences of joy and pain. In the background of this psychological picture lies Naples, a city which "mortally wounds you or puts you to sleep," and its decadent and corrupted inhabitants.