Title: THE BERNARD MAC LAVERTY COLLECTION
Publishing house: LONGMAN
Novelist: BERNARD MAC LAVERTY



The book I read was a collection of short stories from Bernard Mac Laverty.
It started with an introduction of these short stories and with a comment of the writer about them.
The Bernard Mac Laverty's stories are full of humour, realism and moments of touching or shocking surprise.
Nelson plays truant and sees something he wishes he had not in the title story, 'A Time to Dance'. In 'Phonefun Limited' Sadie and Agnes, retired prostitutes, hit upon an inventive new way of 'making someone happy with a phone call', while in 'My Dear Palestrina' a remarkable music teacher initiates her pupil into the mysteries of art and maturity."
Bernard Mac Laverty’s stories are rich portraits of people who demand our attention and sympathy: a murdered victim, a truanting student who is blind to reality, a peculiar sword swallower immortalised by Matisse, a parish priest with an unforgivable secret….
Compassion, pity for the old, the forgotten and the lonely are so evident, particularly in REMOTE, EELS, WORD THE HAPPY SAY and ACROSS THE STREET. In which of these stories the main character is alone, adrift in a sea of circumstances that serve only to exaggerate this condition, and only the reader is left to fully recognise his or her plight.


Here is the resume of one of the story of the collection that is my favourite.

MY DEAR PALESTRINA

My Dear Palestrina’ is a cleverly written short story by Bernard Mac Laverty. It is about this young boy called Danny who discovers his musical talent and goes to this piano teacher called Miss Swartz. Their friendship develops and seems to be a formidable partnership until Danny is torn away from his beloved music lessons because of Miss Schwartz private life. Fitted into the story are some important themes that continue to exist in today is society. In this essay, I will try to explain most of them to you.
The most notable theme is how the prejudice of people can never be overcome. This is weaved into the story by the relationship of Danny and Miss Schwartz working well together until the very end when Danny is stopped from going to Miss Schwartz because of other peoples prejudice.
Bernard Mac Laverty has focused mostly on this theme because of Danny and Miss Schwartz being the main characters so by focusing the theme with them it allows the readers to read more about the prejudice of people. The barriers of social class are another theme I noticed in the story due to the disliking of Danny’s father towards the local Blacksmith. I noticed that Danny’s father doesn’t like the blacksmith because he says “If he’s pouring the same poison into your ear, son, as he’s been spewing out in the pub he’s a bad influence” Danny’s father and the Blacksmiths feuds also represent some civil conflict between people in the story.



PAROLE NUOVE DEL LIBRO


FATHER AND SON
to rise= alzarsi
in bare feet= a piedi nudi
snap= lo scatto
stands breathing through his nose= sta respirando attraverso il naso
the crook of his arm=nell'incavo del braccio
to let down= deludere
to groan= gemere
eyes flicker open= occhi traballanti aperti
what's it to you= cosa te ne importa
chin=mento
to pester= tormentare
to shrug= scrollare le spalle
coward= codardo
round the corner= dietro l'angolo
a hatchet= un accetta
stuff= roba
to hurls= scagliare
hatred= odio
to spit= sputare
to ride pillion on a motor-bike=viaggiare come passeggero su una moto
nostril= narice


A TIME TO DANCE
to play truant = marinare la scuola
idly= pigramente
eye patch = benda sull'occhio
distaste= disgusto
rough= ruvido
bracing himself= facendosi forza
pain=dolore
to rip off= togliere
avoiding=evitando
stark staring blind= rimanere completamente cieco



THE BEGINNINGS OF A SIN
surplice=indumento da preti
wee owl= piccolo gufo



REMOTE
spun past= fila veloce
hump=dosso
squirm= dimenarsi
bog= pantano



MY DEAR PALESTRINA
Raucous= rauco
cawing=gracchiare
Footpath= marciapiede
To spit, spat, spat= sputo
Beneath= sotto, al di sotto
Echoing= eco
Slightly= leggermente
Although= sebbene
Forge= farsi strada
pinging of the hammer= rumore metallic del martello
Polished= raffinato/a
Brass= ottone
Knocker= colui che bussa
pale finger poked about the piano= appoggiò un lungo dito pallido sul pianoforte
Cluster= raggrupparsi
Doorstep = soglia di casa, porta



SOME SURRENDER
Argue= discutere, litigare su qlcs.
Nod= cenno del capo
Weasels= donnole
Unscrew= svitare



EELS
Laid= pose
Buried= nascosto
Cushioned= imbottito



MORE THAN JUST THE DISEASE
Tailed off seeing= la vista diminuiva gradualmente



WORDS THE HAPPY SAY
Paltry melody= melodia irrisoria


ACROSS THE STREET



THE GREAT PROFUNDO
Prows= prua
Gathered= intenso
Edged= taglio
Shabby= meschino
Shilling= scellino
Blade= lama