The Dragon the Witch and the Daughters by Luigi Capuana (English Edition)

From a master of Italian verismo comes a classic short story of the genre, but with a twist. As characters come into conflict with each other, and “the Dragon” with himself, Capuana weaves together the grimness of real life with threads of subtle fairytale.

For the first time translated into English by Michael Curtotti, The Dragon the Witch and the Daughters, transports us into the life of a nineteenth century village. Don Paolo Drago, “dragon by name, dragon by nature,” appears to dominate this world, yet he barely controls his own thoughts and feelings. Despite himself, he is drawn into the destiny of two orphans.

Yet tragedy stalks the life of Don Paolo. His own daughters and wife are dead and long buried in the grave. Like a living ghost, he waits for death, carrying on a wretched existence. His bitterness is his one defense, in a world full of emptiness. Yet the arrival of the orphans challenges everything he has believed.

Could his daughters really return from the grave?

Of the author:

“ … the iconic representative in Italy of the art of Zola or the natural …” Luigi Pirandello (winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature)

“… a leader of the verismo movement … [who] himself rebelled [against it]” Hilda Norman

“… an erudite researcher and collector of tales …” Gina Miele

The story, although fiction, is gritty in its realism. Yet it is also a subtle fairytale. Set in rural Sicily at the end of the nineteenth century, it is a world that Capuana knows well, for he comes from it. At the same time, he populates his story with fairytale creatures.

The central character is Don Paolo Drago, “dragon by name, dragon by nature” who is embittered by tragedies which, in the space of a few months, robbed him of his family and left him alone in the world. But everything is turned upside down when he meets two orphans on a village road and despite himself Don Paolo must come to terms with their entry into his life. As their adventures and turns of fortune unfold, we are thrust into the characters’ small village world and Capuana’s detailed canvas brings to life characters humorous, heart warming and tragic.

Although written as a children’s story, Capuana’s portrayals make Il Drago thoroughly enjoyable for adults as well. Capuana was a prolific writer whose works translated into English include: Cardello, The Marquis of Roccaverdina and Sicilian Tales – Once Upon a Time.