It was my eternal desire to leave the beaten path to discover intricate shortcuts, not to arrive earlier but to be able to lose myself in peace.
–Chiudi gli occhi e guarda, Nicola Pezzoli
From the author of Tutta colpa di Tondelli andQuattro soli a motore, Nicola Pezzoli, comes a coming-of-age story that will remind of your own childhood and growing up. Published by independent publishing company, NEO. Edizioni, and released in 2016, the books is 136 pages long.
Chiudi gli Occhi e guarda tells the story from the eyes of a 12-year-old boy named Corradino who is preparing for his first summer vacation at the beach with his mother. Riding a 127 beige, he and his mother travel to the Ligurian sea on desert highways where mysterious scrawls appear on boards bearing abbreviated names of places.
On the beach is where Corradino will meet many interesting characters: a 12-year-old child, elderly uncles and beach friends. He will find himself a companion in his blind uncle Dilvo, who teaches him to “close his eyes and see” people with his heart. In the end, Corradino will find out what it means to enter the world of adulthood and realizes what he shall lose in the process.
Chiara Gulino of flaneri.com describes it as a “a tapestry, a canvas that intertwines Corradino’s events and thoughts. ” Pezzoli’s gorgeous writing immerses the readers into the summer of 1979 of long walks at the beach in the balmy heat and of children playing in the sand.
Chiudi gli occhi e guardia is a worthwhile read. Please grab a copy now.