The Complete Little World of Don Camillo

I love Don Camillo. I first heard it being read on Radio 4. I hunted high and low for it (it is out of print - or was at the time) and I read it in one sitting. A funny, tender insight into a tense, yet oddly mutually respectful relationship between a communist with high aspirations and a

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clergyman, who converses with a God who Guareschi has given a sense of humour. One of the best things is the relationship between God and Don Camillo, it is part parent child, yet sometimes the roles seem to be reversed. Highly recommended

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Set in a small Italian village soon after World War II, we see the priest Don Camillo repeatedly come up against his sworn enemy Peppone. Peppone is an atheist who is the head of the local Communist party and, therefore, against Christianity. Both are hotheads who are inclined to solve problems

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with their fists and the occasional Tommy gun before turning to more peaceful measures. One soon learns that both men quarrel because they are so much alike that neither will give way and that, when push comes to shove, they will work together for the common good.

Whenever Don Camillo is in over his head, he talks to Christ on the crucifix in his church. We get to hear Christ's wise advice and his occasional, necessary words of reproval as Don Camillo goes about shepherding the souls of the village.

At first because of the format and simplicity of some of the stories I mistakenly thought that these were simply light hearted tales, featuring simplistic morality. Nothing could be further from the truth. However, the simplicity is deceptive and the problems that the characters must solve are often true to life and painful.

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How can the rhetoric of communism and catholicism be aligned? To overcome the problems created by the abyss between the two different set of ideals is the task the author gives his two main characters, the communist leader and the catholic priest. From the fact that both the priest and the

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communist are quick to action, Guareschi´s comedy arises. A comedy that got Italy laughing at themselves at a critical time in their history - at a time when splitting tragedy easily could have flourished. And alignment? Is it possible to bridge an idological abyss? Well, it demands practical love and common sense for a start - but most of all, for the book to have the effect it had when first published, it is only possible when the author, as well as the readers - both communists and christians - have a keen sense of la divina comedia - and the ability to laugh at themselves, and cry, and laugh and.....

Even if both communists and christians are marginalised as players on the field today, the main issue remains - as well as Guareschi´s answer.

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What interesting books this series turned out! When I first read this I was in the throes of militant Catholicism with the liberal, pacifist view of Jesus fixed firmly in my head. Also, I had at that point no exposure to Spanish or Italian life or their application of Catholicism in daily practice.

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My first reading of this left me horrified and yet hooked. I was scandalized that Jesus could be an advocate for fighting! Haha. Well, I still don't believe he is, but at least I understand how other don't see it the way I do.
All that aside, this book and its successors are just little gems of uplifting good fun. They are mildly inspiring and certainly calculated to make you feel good.

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The original McCall Smith Precious Ramotswe style good feeling stories

This is a delightful sunday afteroon read (took me a little over 2 hours) and had me really chuckling. There's not a lot of meat--it's more a collection of easily digested short vignettes--but the characters are so fun. There Don Camillo, the local parish priest, who has wonderful conversations

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with Christ who is constantly having to urge DC into moderation and compassion.( I can almost see George Burns playing this role); and then there's Mayor Peppone--a worthy adversary to the priest in that he is a Communist and is trying to toe the party line. Of course he also can't quite get past the 1000's of years of catholic tradition (Don Camillo won't let him) and the two of them have marvelous squabbles: both verbal and physical.

I'm not sure I could handle a whole series of this duo back to back, but the stories are certainly good for those times when something quick, light and uplifting is called for.

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This book often had me laughing so loud and long that my husband would come downstairs to see what I was reading. I'd be laughing to hard to even tell him and have to just hand over the book. It's a must for every library.

Loved this funny little satirical book.

This book was ridiculous in the best of ways. Don Camillo and his arch rival Peppone are great characters, the resolutions to the stories are funny, the interactions between the two and between Camillo and Christ are hilarious. I enjoyed the book from start to finish, although the second to last

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chapter/story seemed out of place dark compared to the others. Still, it set up for a wonderful resolution.

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