Peter Bichsel's 'Storie per bambini' Published by Casagrande with Postface by Giovanna Zoboli

Casagrande has released Peter Bichsel's 'Storie per bambini' in 2026, featuring a postface by Giovanna Zoboli, a text by Marco Belpoliti, and translation by Chiara Allegra. The Swiss writer's stories center on elderly men at the end of life, described as having 'tired faces, too tired to smile and too tired to be angry.' These male protagonists are disillusioned with life, yet each retains a stubborn utopian drive: one seeks to prove that 'the earth is round,' another that 'America does not exist.' Their lives are dominated by boredom, repetition, and daily duties. Each man attempts an escape from oppressive routine by inventing a bizarre perspective or obsession that might chip away at the weight of the everyday. The collection presents a stark, provocative contrast between the title's promise of children's stories and the actual focus on aging, disappointed men. The volume includes contributions from Zoboli and Belpoliti, with Allegra's translation bringing Bichsel's German-language work into Italian. The review by Gino Ruozzi and Anita Romanello appeared on Doppiozero on Wednesday, 7 October 2026 at 03:10.