Man of Smoke

The first English translation of this rewarding and critically important modernist tale resonates with much going on in recent experimental fiction. First published in 1911, the story is (as the translators note) Pinocchio in reverse, with the main character, Perela, being made of light smoke rather than heavy wood. Appearing from nowhere at the age of 33, this strange man becomes an instant celebrity in the unnamed realm where he finds himself, taking the countryside and the king by storm. Caught up in an almost religious fervor, government officials ask Perela to reform their legal code, hailing his arrival as the beginning of a golden age of justice and harmony. Eventually, though, the fervor dies and people turn against their erstwhile messiah, bringing him to trial. The only defense he offers is his claim that ``I am light.'' This theme makes Palazzeschi's work a haunting precursor to that of Milan Kundera and others who have explored the theme of lightness and being. Its deft social commentary and irony have been well-preserved in translation. The introduction by the translators, both on the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley, provides a valuable context. (May)