
PREFAZIONE.
Capìtolo Primo. IN ATTESA DEL TRENO.
Capìtolo II. LUCI NELLA NOTTE.
Capìtolo III. IL MATTINO A VICENZA.
Capìtolo IV. QUATTORDICIMILA MORTI!
Capìtolo V. BOLOGNA DI NOTTE.
Capìtolo VI. KARA-KIRI.
Capìtolo VII. CHE COSA VOLEVA MIMÌ.
Capìtolo VIII. LE DUE MILIONÀRIE.
Capìtolo IX. MAGISTER ELEGANTIARUM.
A wandering scholar sketches his thoughts on the road in 1913, turning fleeting impressions into a notebook that soon fills with vivid sketches of landscapes, conversations with fellow poets, and the quiet cadence of a train’s rhythm. The prose captures the simplicity of bright noon rides, the gentle humor of a bicycle‑bound friend, and the restless yearning for a wider horizon, all while the narrator muses on the strange balance between belonging and escape. It feels like overhearing a private diary being read aloud, each line echoing a personal quest for clarity amid a world still untouched by war.
When the Great War looms, the narrator’s reflections shift toward the uneasy tension between artistic longing and the harsh reality of a continent in turmoil. He wonders whether his words can survive the “Germanic materialism” that threatens to erase softer values, and he imagines the train as both a literal and metaphorical carriage toward freedom. Listeners are invited to accompany him on this contemplative journey, savoring the blend of humor, melancholy, and hope that defines a moment on the brink of history.
Language
it
Duration
~3 hours (230K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Marco Bruschi, Claudio Paganelli, Barbara Magni and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
Mar 16, 2013
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1863–1939
Best known for witty, graceful prose and a sharp ear for changing language, this Italian writer moved easily between fiction, criticism, and lexicography. His work captures everyday life with humor, elegance, and a quietly reflective tone.
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