Gianni Celati is not a writer whose work can be easily categorized. His fiction divides into two distinct phases, each of which has occupied almost a decade. He established his reputation in the 1970s with a series of four experimental novels--of which the most successful was Le avventure di Guizzardi (The Adventures of Guizzardi, 1973)--noted for their comically frenetic energy and stylistic exuberance as well as their representation of the world of individuals on the margins of society: the mentally disturbed, the delinquent, and the foreigner. After a break of six years he returned with another series of books so different that the casual reader would not think they were by the same author. These works--the first of which, Narratori delle pianure (1985; translated as Voices from the Plains, 1989), received great critical acclaim--are remarkable for their quiet, reflective, fragmentary character; simple style; and specific geographical location in the Po...