As an eclectic writer, whose corpus includes poetry, novels, short fiction, plays, and essays, and as a creator of realismo magico (magic realism)--a rather fantastic narrative style that recalls French Surrealism--Massimo Bontempelli was a prominent author for most of the first half of the twentieth century. At the peak of his career, he was given the prestigious title of "Accademico d'Italia" (Academician of Italy) by Benito Mussolini. Critics almost unanimously acknowledge that Bontempelli is a master of the short story. Focusing on the "present" or "momentary" action of the narrative, instead of on its outcome, he writes stories that are distinguished for their secondary themes and subplots; because of his minimal attention to how a story ends, the reader cannot always discern the difference between his long tales and his short novels. Along with his theatrical works, which have been rediscovered in recent years as a result...