Summary of Last Summer in the City
“Last Summer in the City” follows thirty-year-old Leo Gazzarra as he drifts through Rome in the early 1970s. Unwilling to commit to a steady job, Leo prefers to observe life from the sidelines, spending his days around Piazza Navona, reading, drinking, and smoking, and resisting the expectations of adulthood—even as his friends settle into careers, marriages, and apartments of their own. When he meets the beautiful Arianna, the two fall in love, but their relationship remains fragile, shaped by Leo’s reluctance to take life, or love, entirely seriously.
Reasons to read Last Summer in the City
Often described as a cult classic of Italian literature, “Last Summer in the City” portrays a young man adrift in 1970s Rome, searching for meaning and direction in his life. Concise yet evocative, the novel offers a vivid impression of the city, with its piazzas, cafés, bars, and trattorias. Italian writer Gianfranco Calligarich is best known for this debut novel, as well as for books such as “Privati abissi” (winner of the Premio Bagutti) and “La malinconia dei Crusich” (winner of the Premio Viagreggio).
Original title: L’ultima estate in città
Year of publication: 1973
Nr of pages: 192
