A story about a boy's first experiences of sex... Saba has something without which there can never be realism or liberty in art (as in history itself), but only slavery and rhetoric – he had fundamental respect for life and for human beings'

Elsa Morante

Mark Thompson's elegant new translation presents a clean, rustic prose

TLS

[Saba's] use of direct, unadorned language lends the work a sharp sense of immediacy, while his keen understanding of protean sexuality makes this a significant - even pioneering - work of gay literature

BookWitty

A frank and enjoyable coming-of-age story

Historical Novel Society