The Chess Set in the Mirror

Illustration by STO for Bontempelli’s Chess Set in the Mirror (1922)

In 2007, Paul Dry Books published an English translation of The Chess Set in the Mirror, a 1922 children’s book by Massimo Bontempelli. I’ve worked at Paul Dry Books for going on ten years. Though I have followed the (wise) advice of fellow bloggers and kept separate my blogging and work activities, I’ve decided to feature some of my favorite “Paul Dry books” from time to time.

I had a lot of fun working on this book, and was especially happy to discover through it the illustrator STO, aka Sergio Tofano. Chess Set got some nice press, but it never really found its audience:
“This whimsical Italian fantasy, originally published in 1922, belongs on the shelf next to The Little Prince and Alice and Wonderland. Simple language by translator Gilson gives the novel a poetic tone, while STO’s charming black-and-white illustrations add humor. Although intended for a younger audience, the book is suitable for all age levels.” —VOYA

“The result is a story told in a voice that’s charmingly direct, sweetly self-referential (“So there you have it—right away, in the second chapter—the reason for the title of this story”) and more than a little trippy, like a kid-friendly Kathy Acker.” —Philadelphia Inquirer

“This unique fantasy, written in 1922 and first translated from the Italian in this edition, takes readers to an imaginary world, perhaps earning this tale a spot on the bookshelf between Alice in Wonderland and Where the Wild Things Are… The narrator’s dry wit, reminiscent of P.G. Wodehouse, makes for an appealing journey and, coupled with the whimsical pen-and-ink drawings, a charming package with an timeless air.”

01 The Chess Set in the Mirror (1922), illus. by STO (Sergio Tofano)

Chapter heading by STO for Bontempelli’s Chess Set in the Mirror (1922)

Illustration by STO for Bontempelli’s Chess Set in the Mirror (1922)

Cover for 2007 English translation of Bontempelli’s Chess Set in the Mirror

***

Bios:

A protégé of Pirandello, Massimo Bontempelli (1878 – 1960) was a prolific writer of poetry, plays, and prose fiction. First a teacher, Bontempelli wrote some traditional poetry, later adopted the anti-traditional, anarchic literary doctrine of the Futurists, and ultimately developed his own point of view, which he expressed particularly in his review 900 (founded 1926 with Curzio Malaparte). European in outlook (the editorial committee included James Joyce, Rainer Maria Rilke, Max Jacob, and André Malraux), 900 sought a middle ground between the extremes of traditionalism and the literary avant-garde. Bontempelli now occupies a major place in 20th century Italian letters, and his works are translated in every major European language. His L’amante fedele (1953; The Faithful Lover), a collection of surrealistic stories, won Italy’s highest literary award, the Strega Prize.

Other Books in English by Massimo Bontempelli: Separations: Two Novels of Mothers and Children (McPherson & Company, 2000); The Faithful Lover (Host Publications, 2007)

Sergio Tofano, also known as STO, was an Italian illustrator, actor, director, and playwright. For fifty years his illustrated work appeared in the children’s supplement of Corriere della Sera, one of the oldest and most widely read newspapers in Italy.