Spring Will Come Bandini
"Spring is coming, Bandini" marks the first steps of a long narrative, imbued with a rigid architecture, charismatic characters and an eye that knows how to highlight the light in things.
Fante was Bukowski's god, but he never had so many readers. John Fante, who was born in 1909 and died in 1983, stood out for his caustic humour and the firm stroke of his prose.
Just as Bukowski would later do with Chinaski, his alter ego, Fante had Arturo Bandini, the centre of his most cited work, Ask the Dust (1939). Bandini was present in a series of four novels, published in 1938 and 1985, known as "The Bandini Quartet", and which begins with this Spring is Coming, Bandini (1938). Bunker's Dreams was published in 1982 and Towards Los Angeles was published in 1985, despite being the first one written by the author, closing the circle.
The house was not yet paid for. It was his enemy, that house. It had a voice and was always talking to him, like a parrot, always squawking the same thing.” (p. 14)
Her name was Maria and she was always telling him things he already knew. Did he really need to be told that Christmas was almost here. It was December 5th. When a man lies down next to a woman on a Thursday night, does he really need her to tell him that tomorrow is Friday?” (p. 20)
Fante composed a fine picture, and this novel, which marks the first steps of his long narrative, already comes imbued with a rigid architecture, charismatic characters and an eye that knows how to highlight the light in things. The use of Arturo also allows for the contrast between the harshness of life and a gaze so young that it thinks it can still do anything.
Thank you, Ana Pedrosa, Observador
