Na tropach prawdziwego potwora. Przez strony powieści Szybkonogi Achilles Stefana Benniego

Abstract

The novel “Swift-footed Achilles” by Stefano Benni (Feltrinelli, 2003) reports about the deep friendship between two men. Ulysses is a writer who has lost his literary vein, distracted by small daily problems. Achilles is a monstrous young man, deformed by a series of rare syndromes and failed surgeries, with a great literary talent and a deep sensitivity, but with nothing to tell, because his life flows among the four walls of a darkened room. The clash between these two souls, ready to share their dearest things, including the woman loved by Ulysses, will give life to a revolutionary book. As is typical of Benni's style, in the novel we can find different crossing styles: there are dreamlike and surreal moments, political satire and parody of famous writers. Particularly fascinating is the idea of choosing names inspired from classical mythology for all the characters, as this gives a new symbolic interpretation to the whole story.