There's a scene in the Italian author Erri De Luca's newly translated novel, The Day Before Happiness, where an older man named Don Gaetano speaks to the teenaged orphan he's raised, to explain why he's been sharing so many stories from the days he helped drive the Nazis and fascists from the streets of Naples in 1943.
"I'm telling you these things," he says, "so that one day, if you become president and they want to make you sign your name to a war, and you've uncapped your pen and are about to put your signature on the paper, all at once you will remember these events and maybe, who knows, you will say: I'm not signing."
With those words, the scene ends, and De Luca makes it easy to imagine the boy nodding, absorbing this call to pacifism as a foreboding sunset adds shadow to an otherwise lovely panorama of 1950s Naples, the book's setting. Adding further import, we also know at this point that the older man, bridging generations, is himself an orphan.
High hopes in clear language, cautions against real evil, and scenes thick with poetic sentiment - these elements fuel the warmth to be found in De Luca's brief but affecting novels.
De Luca, born in 1950, has won numerous literary awards and published an astonishing number of books - more than 60, by all accounts. They've been translated into dozens of languages, but only a handful into English: Sea of Memory (Ecco Press, 1999), God's Mountain (Riverhead, 2002), and Three Horses (Other Press, 2005).
Now, Other Press is publishing The Day Before Happiness by pairing it, for marketing purposes, apparently, with a reprint of Sea of Memory under the title Me, You. In both, De Luca's adroit, fragmentary approach to storytelling - using no chapters, but scores of section breaks - allows him to form rich, cohesive mosaics from seemingly disparate elements, giving the coming-of-age story a weightiness and epic feeling in its scope.
The two books have much in common, including odd quirks belonging to the aesthetic that reflects De Luca's adventuresome life. He has been known since the late 1960s as an active political dissident, and The Believer magazine reported in 2005 that he was at one point barred from entering the US after helping with relief convoys in Yugoslavia in the 1990s, against international sanctions.
Likewise, De Luca's main characters are men with a distaste for war. In turn, they have gained in both these books added psychic and spiritual power - as if their profound empathy for those affected by war, in particular the mass death of the Holocaust, has awakened in them the courage and sad wisdom of old souls.
The Day Before Happiness is narrated by an unnamed teenager, an orphan who tells of his childhood and formative years learning from Don Gaetano, a humble but remarkable caretaker of a Naples apartment building. "Don Gaetano was familyless, too," the boy tells us. "Raised in an orphanage, then a seminary, he was supposed to become a priest. But they say he fell in love with a streetwalker and 20 years later he was far away, in Argentina. He came back in 1940, just in time for the war."
Don Gaetano's years alone in Argentina gave him the ability to hear people's thoughts, an element De Luca casts less as magic, more of a deep intuition. He tells the boy countless stories over hands of a card game called scopa and the motif of chance and strategic thought needed to win at cards gradually becomes an overarching metaphor for what the boy learns about life.
Don Gaetano is depicted as much more than a mere eccentric mentor. The book's main theme is in the title, The Day Before Happiness, a hard-won survivor's refrain Don Gaetano invented and teaches the boy - a name to give to bad days, to transform them into preludes for great joy tomorrow. And Don Gaetano has seen people suffer bad days.
The boy is eager to learn more about the war, which no other adults will discuss with him, and Don Gaetano yields answers about "the violent summer of 1943" in Naples, when "the city sprang like a trap." Citizens banded together to firebomb German tanks and hunt down fascist snipers. Most importantly, Don Gaetano helped save the life of an unnamed Jewish man by giving him a safe place to hide underground. They played scopa during air raids, and the Jewish man, as Don Gaetano tells the boy, called the game "a fight between order and chaos". The man later leaves Naples, taking a stone. "I'm going to put it in the wall of the house I'll have in Israel. There we will build with the stones they've thrown at us."
After the boy turns 18, the plot turns toward melodrama when Anna, a girl the boy liked when they were children, returns to the neighbourhood. A tragedy is brewing as Anna seduces the narrator, then tells him her fiancé is about to get out of prison. Don Gaetano gives the boy a knife, and the Chekhov rule is not broken. Anna's something of a stereotype, a mad girl who "wants to see blood", and speaks in strained dialogue: "Can I kiss you now?" the boy asks. "No," she responds, "you are pollen, you must obey me. I am the wind."
In conclusion, the boy learns facts about his parents, then faces off against Anna's beau. Given Don Gaetano's lessons and the fascinating history he relates, the book doesn't end feeling like a semi-tragic teen romance. De Luca's main interest is the inner struggle of man against violent urges and the strength that pacifism requires.
Me, You, a worthy reprint, has much in common with Happiness, and it's interesting to read both and appreciate how De Luca uses similar means to achieve different ends. It's also set near Naples in the 1950s, narrated by an unnamed, teenaged boy mentored by an older man. The boy, 16, spends one summer on an island, splitting his time between his older cousin and friends, and days at sea with a wise fisherman named Nicola. With a touch of foreshadowing, the narrator says, "I was a city boy, but in the summer I turned into a savage."
This boy is also interested in the war, but Italy's shame is pervasive. He sees his father "burdened by regret, not to have committed a single act of sabotage, not to have saved anyone outside of himself and his family." Nicola, on the contrary, tells all about his time as a begrudging infantryman in Sarajevo. "There were Jewish women, they asked us to save their children, they handed them over to us, to us, Italian soldiers who were the enemy, and we could do nothing." The boy thinks to himself, in response, "Nothing. Only you, Nicola, managed to say this word, digging it out of helplessness and fear."
Through his cousin, the narrator meets a Jewish girl named Caia, falls deeply in love and learns that her family was killed in the Holocaust. "She came from a people who had been eliminated house by house, her parents killed." In Happiness, Don Gaetano had mildly clairvoyant abilities. In Me, You, the twist is a remarkably effective spiritual channelling where Caia feels and hears her dead father's presence through the narrator. "I know there are moments," Caia explains, "when someone I lost comes close and inhabits an unfamiliar person ... I feel protected by this multitude of hardly perceptible signals." It's a risky but deeply moving device, a testament to De Luca's deft touch.
The finale begins after the narrator notices that Germans have always been on holiday on the island, too.
In Caia and the German tourists, he sees that "there were still witnesses, victims who had survived, murderers in good health". After an implausible run-in with Germans who are "singing the anthem of the SS" at a pizzeria, he takes revenge, alluding to a future that involves "a juvenile prison".
These books show young Italian men struggling to either hold their country to account for its part in the war, or acknowledging those who stood up and resisted. In both cases, De Luca seems to say, the necessary passion to fight evil must be handled with immense care.
Matthew Jakubowski is a writer and critic who serves on the fiction panel for the Best Translated Book Award.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
LOS ANGELES GALAXY 2 MANCHESTER UNITED 5
Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')
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The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
RESULTS
Bantamweight
Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
(Split decision)
Featherweight
Hussein Salim (IRQ) beat Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
(Round 1 submission, armbar)
Catchweight 80kg
Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Otabek Kadirov (UZB)
(Round-1 submission, rear naked choke)
Lightweight
Ho Taek-oh (KOR) beat Ronald Girones (CUB)
(Round 3 submission, triangle choke)
Lightweight
Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) beat Damien Lapilus (FRA)
(Unanimous points)
Bantamweight
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
(Round 1 TKO)
Featherweight
Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
(Round 1 rear naked choke)
Flyweight
Shannon Ross (TUR) beat Donovon Freelow (USA)
(Unanimous decision)
Lightweight
Dan Collins (GBR) beat Mohammad Yahya (UAE)
(Round 2 submission D’arce choke)
Catchweight 73kg
Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM) beat Islam Mamedov (RUS)
(Round 3 submission, kneebar)
Bantamweight world title
Xavier Alaoui (MAR) beat Jaures Dea (CAM)
(Unanimous points 48-46, 49-45, 49-45)
Flyweight world title
Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
(Round 1 RSC)
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
How to volunteer
The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
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Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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