The Leather Jacket: Stories by Cesare Pavese

Cesare Pavese, prize-winning author of such novels as The Moon and the Bonfire, Among Women Only and The Devil in the Hills, also wrote a number of short stories which he rarely mentioned to friends or colleagues. But far from being minor works, the nine tales presented here reveal Pavese's skill and mastery of the form. These stories reflect, among other things, the harsh life endured by the country people, the hopes and fears of adolescence and the pain of being in love. This selection has been chosen and introduced by Margaret Crosland.