Paolo Cognetti

In this exquisitely written journal-turned-journey of self-discovery, international bestselling author Paolo Cognetti examines our universal desire for connection through a voyage in the Himalayas.Why climb a mountain without ever reaching the summit?In 2017, Paolo Cognetti returned to Nepal, not to conquer the mountains but to journey through the high valleys of the Dolpo with a copy of Peter Matthiessen's The Snow Leopard in hand. Drawing on memories of his childhood in theAlps, Cognetti explored the roots of life in the mountains, truly getting to know the communities and the nature that forged this resilient, almost mythical region. Accompanying him was Remigio, a childhood friend who had never left the mountains of Italy, and Nicola, a painter he had recently met. Joined by a stalwart team of local sherpas, the trio started out in the remote Dolpo region of Nepal. From there, a journey of self-discovery shaped by illness, human connection, and empathy was born.Without Ever Reaching the Summit features line illustrations drawn by the author.

”Det her er dig når man ser dig udefra,” siger Marta. ”Kan du se? Det er sådan du er sammen med andre, den måde du har lært at være på når du er ude blandt andre. Jeg siger ikke at det er en maske, men det er som en smuk kjole, som den diktion du har udryddet din oprindelige accent med. Det er sådan du klæder dig på for at gå ud, ikke? Mens det her er når du er hjemme.” Hun flytter papiret til venstre, og pigen på billedet ændrer sig med ét. Smilet forsvinder. Piger er mistroisk, nærmest truende. Hun virker også træt: træt af at være her, træt af at nogen ser på hende. Du prøver at huske tilbage på den dag med Leo, om tingene mellem jer allerede var begyndt at ændre sig. ”Kan du se det?” siger Marta. Da hun fjerner papirarket, forekommer det dig utænkeligt at to så forskellige personer kan forenes. Af den prisbelønnede internationale succesforfatter til De otte bjerge og Den vilde dreng. Norditalien i 80’erne. Et nyt beboelseskvarter uden for Milano. Anarkistiske bevægelser, kvindefrigørelse, spiseproblemer, strejker og fabriksbesættelser. Men først og fremmest historien om pigen Sofia der ikke vil vente på lykken, men erklærer at hun vil være lykkelig nu. Sofia bliver født samme år som punken. Som tiårig barberer hun sig skaldet i protest mod den første kommunion, som sekstenårig forsøger hun at begå selvmord. Hun lever i en tilsyneladende normal familie, men under overfladen lurer forældrenes dårlige forhold. Romanen fortæller i ti selvstændige kapitler om pigen Sofia fra forskellige synsvinkler. Paolo Cognetti, der så fint har beskrevet venskaber mellem to drenge og mellem far og søn, skildrer her en ung kvinde med stor indføling. "En mosaik af sammenvævede historier hvor forskellige personer gør deres entré, men altid som selvstændige skæbner med krav på at blive fortalt." La Repubblica "Den bedste italienske bog i 2012. Læs den, og I vil aldrig glemme Sofia." Vanity Fair "De korte dialoger – mejslet ud i en forunderligt poetisk prosa – giver hver scene i bogen et sitrende nærvær. Det er lige så smukt som Godards første film."Le Figaro Littéraire

A young man escapes his painful past by retreating to the rustic comfort of the Italian Alps in this gorgeously wrought memoir from the internationally bestselling author of the "exquisite" (Annie Proulx) novel The Eight Mountains. When life in the city becomes too overwhelming for Paolo, he decides to take refuge high in the Italian mountains. Returning to the breathtaking Valle d'Aosta--known for its snowcapped mountain peaks--after a decade's absence, he rediscovers a simpler life and develops deep human connections with two neighbors. In this stunning landscape, he begins to take stock of his life and consider what he truly values. With lyrical and evocative prose, The Wild Boy is a testament to the power of the natural world, the necessity of an ever-questioning mind, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Winner of the 2017 Strega Prize Pietro, a lonely city boy, spends his childhood summers in a secluded valley in the Alps, at Grana. Bruno, the cowherd son of a local stonemason, knows the mountains intimately. Together they spend many summers exploring the mountain's meadows and peaks and discover the similarities and differences in their lives, their backgrounds, and their futures. The two boys come to find the true meaning of friendship and camaraderie, even as their divergent paths in life - Bruno's in the mountains, Pietro's in cosmopolitan cities across the world - challenge the strength and meaning of their connection. A modern Italian masterpiece, The Eight Mountains is a lyrical coming-of-age story spanning three decades, about the power of male friendships, and a meditation on loyalty, being in nature, and finding one's place in the world.

*The book that inspired the film The Eight Mountains* For fans of Elena Ferrante and Paulo Coelho comes a moving and elegant novel about the friendship between two young Italian boys from different backgrounds and how their connection evolves and challenges them throughout their lives. "Few books have so accurately described the way stony heights can define one's sense of joy and rightness...an exquisite unfolding of the deep way humans may love one another" (Annie Proulx). Pietro is a lonely boy living in Milan. With his parents becoming more distant each day, the only thing the family shares is their love for the mountains that surround Italy. While on vacation at the foot of the Aosta Valley, Pietro meets Bruno, an adventurous, spirited local boy. Together they spend many summers exploring the mountains' meadows and peaks and discover the similarities and differences in their lives, their backgrounds, and their futures. The two boys come to find the true meaning of friendship and camaraderie, even as their divergent paths in life--Bruno's in the mountains, Pietro's across the world--test the strength and meaning of their connection. "A slim novel of startling expansion that subtly echoes its setting" (Vogue), The Eight Mountains is a lyrical coming-of-age story about the power of male friendships and the enduring bond between fathers and sons. "There are no more universal themes than those of the landscape, friendship, and becoming adults, and Cognetti's writing becomes classical (and elegant) to best tell this story...a true novel by a great writer" (Rolling Stone Italia).

Sofia pukeutuu aina mustaan koostuu kymmenestä kertomuksesta. Ne muodostavat mosaiikkimaisen kokonaisuuden ja kertovat päähenkilön, Sofia Muratoren elämästä 1970-luvun lopulta nykyaikaan. Esiin tulevat Italian yhteiskunnallisen kehityksen taitekohdat. Episodien näkökulmat vaihtelevat, ja tapahtumat leikkaavat kronologisesti toisiaan. Paolo Cognetti kuuluu Italian kiinnostavimpiin nykykirjailijoihin. Sofia si veste sempre di nero oli ehdolla arvostetun kirjallisuuspalkinnon Premio Stregan saajaksi vuonna 2013 ja Otto montagne (Kahdeksan vuorta (Bazar 2017, suom. Lotta Toivanen) voitti sen vuonna 2017.

Pietro kommer fra Milano, Bruno er vokset op ved foden af Monte Rosa. Da Pietros forældre lejer et lille hus i bjergbyen Grana, møder de to drenge hinanden første gang, og langsomt og næsten ordløst går de et stærkt venskab frem i bjergenes vildsomme terræn. Bjergene vækker relationerne, og eksistensen – Pietros, Brunos, forældrenes - sammenflettes fra drengeårene til voksenalderen. De otto bjerge er en stærk og eksistentiel dannelsesroman om venskabet mellem drenge. Paolo Cognetti er Italiens nye, litterære fænomen.