Review of The Broken Fountain
The Broken Fountain by Thomas Belmonte is a powerful book that
shows greatly the struggle and life of the poor class. It gives
a strong sense of urban life through the story of a Neapolitan
neighborhood. It goes beyond that, though. There is much more
than a gritty street and rundown buildings. There is much more
than the poor people walking by and emotion filled families.
There is an underlying theme of humanity, of justice and
injustice, that the reader can not help but be touched by.
The imagery is strong and brings the book to life. The reader
gets a true sense of what it is like to be in the neighborhood.
The description of buildings and people captivate the minds and
bring a world of humanity into light. Whether it be in the
streets or the homes themselves, the reader feels that they have
some experience now in this awkward world even if they are so
distant from its location. The setting of Naples does not
distract from this either. It does not give us just a look on
Italy, but rather the whole world. One could apply such
hardships and feelings across the whole spectrum of mankind.
His portrayal of the people is unique and touching. He doesn't
just cast them aside as poor and give us little glimpses of
their lives. He lets the reader live as one themselves and
experience what is meant to be experienced in this story. From
acts of thievery and abuse to pain and sorrow and plenty of
fear, he captures it all so intricately in the characters and
creatures an environment that the reader gets so enrapt in that
they almost becomes a character themselves.
The insight and depth that the author provides is a great part
to the achievement of the book. The willingness to open his soul
and become one with the story allows the audience to feel that
they know this person, that they have a better understanding of
this life and story. The emotions, the actions, the things
unsaid all bond together and bring the words to life. There is
so much to the subject, and so many subjects to follow. Not only
is it a book about the poor, but it is a book about family and
friends, about economy and civilization, about social structure
and conditions, about Italy and most importantly about humanity.
It is clear to understand from reading this how it is a classic
to the study of anthropology and sociology. A classical tale of
human survival and endurance, The Broken Fountain transcends
beyond just a work of literature and into a tale of human depth
in spirit and body. Not only do we get insight of the author and
the neighborhood he brings to life, but the audience gets
insight of themselves. Through this they analyze their own life
and are simply touched by the pure human displayed in a book.