And what have we here?

SITE CONTENTS

1) Welcome!

2) Some General Introductory Stuff


3) The Don Camillo Books
-- Introduction
-- "The Little World of Don Camillo"
-- "Don Camillo and His Flock"
-- "Don Camillo's Dilemma"
-- "Don Camillo Takes the Devil By the Tail"
-- "Comrade Don Camillo"
-- "Don Camillo Meets the Flower Children"
-- Don Camillo Omnibus

-- The Stories' Appeal
-- The Characters
-- Important Themes
-- Favorite Quotes
-- What the Critics Said


4) Author Giovanni Guareschi

5) Other Works by Guareschi

6) Guareschi's Translators

7a) The Fernandel- Cervi Films

7b) Other Film, TV, and Radio

8) Finding Copies of the Books & Films

9) Visiting the Little World Today

10) Latest News From the Little World

11) Guareschi Links Online

12) The Don Camillo E-mail List

13) The Little World Wide Web Ring

14) Some Don Camillo Downloads

15) Contact Me / Sign My Guestbook


Don Camillo and His Flock

Don Camillo and His Flock

Don Camillo and His Flock, by Giovanni Guareschi. Copyright © Giovanni Guareschi, 1952. Translated by Frances Frenaye. NEW YORK: Pellegrini and Cudahy, 1952.
Library of Congress card catalog number 52-9359.
First published in Great Britain by Victor Gollancz, Ltd.; 1952 under the title Don Camillo and the Prodigal Son.
Published (UK) by  Penguin Books, 1962.
Reprinted (UK) 1963, 1966, 1968.
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More adventures of the big, outspoken priest and his opposite number in the Communist camp. With both America and Russia sending over supplies and representatives in an effort to win the people's allegiance (and votes), it's up to Don Camillo and Peppone to negotiate a particularly Italian brand of peace in their little village. Whether their aim is to help get a local boy his big break in show business, to defend a thoroughbred dog from a cruel master, or to insure that no one in the Little World goes hungry when it can be prevented, this team proves that sometimes there's no friend like a good enemy.

Notes: This title is a direct translation of that of the second Italian collection of Don Camillo stories, Don Camillo e il suo gregge. Interestingly, however, the American and British editions list a publication of date 1952, while the Italian counterpart was released 1953. And I don't know whether there are more stories in the Italian book than in the English ones, but I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case.

However, I do know that the American version contains one extra story ("Appointment at Midnight") than the British edition, which is content to end the volume with the trio of flood stories (see below). I'm guessing that someone at the US publisher, Pellegrini and Cudahy, was so taken with the Christmas story at the end of the first "Little World" book, that they decided to go for something similar in this one.
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The Little World-- a re-introduction to the Po River Valley and its hard-headed inhabitants
The Thirteenth Century Angel-- a parishioner's bequest leads to the discovery that the church-tower angel is a work of art
The Dance of the Hours-- the Reds have installed a new clock in the Town Hall, but it's out-of-sync with the church's clock
Rhadames-- a local boy gets his big break as an opera singer; can Don Camillo cure his stage fright?
The Stuff from America-- poor Straziami accepts a food parcel from Don Camillo, and then must face the Party
A Matter of Conscience-- Don Camillo commissions Peppone to take some "Divine Providence" to Straziami
War to the Knife-- when Don Camillo finds and reports a Red arsenal, Peppone gets revenge
The Polar Pact-- the Reds occupy a local strip of land, and Peppone defies even the US Navy to remove them
The Petition-- hard-headed Tonini won't sign Peppone's "peace petition"
A Solomon Comes to Judgment-- Peppone settles the case of two neighboring villages who must share a school
Thunder on the Right-- lightning strikes the church spire, but Peppone is paid back for his gloating
Red-Letter Day-- Peppone believes he's invited to move to Russia, and suddenly he's not so sure it's such a promised land
The Strike-- a general strike is on and the village is suffering, until five mysterious strike-breakers get to work
Thunder-- with the help of Peppone, Don Camillo acquires a hunting dog
The Wall-- an unfortunately situated Madonna threatens an important building project
The Sun Also Rises-- Peppone experiences doubts about Party tactics
Technique of the Coup d'Etat-- believing they've won the national elections, the Reds prepare to start the Revolution
Benefit of Clergy-- new parents Smilzo and Moretta take their stand for the principle of Free Love
Out of the Night-- Smilzo has second thoughts about his offering to the church
The Bicycle-- and a bicycle thief has some second thoughts of his own
The Prodigal Son-- Brusco's not looking forward to a reunion with his son
Shotgun Wedding-- she's a Catholic, he's a Communist; what will it take to bring this Romeo and Juliet together?
Seeds of Hate-- a local village declares independence of Peppone's rule...
War of Secession-- and as war brews between the two villages, the river water rises
Bianco-- an old trolley horse responds to one last call of the whistle
The Ugly Madonna-- a particularly unattractive statue of the Madonna reveals her inner beauty
The Flying Squad-- though at odds in a propaganda war, Don Camillo and Peppone team up to save Peppone's son
Horses of a Different Color-- Old Romagnolo is determined not to have a church funeral when he dies
Blue Sunday-- one son of the Little World finds it hard to be happy away from the land
Don Camillo Gets into Trouble-- exiled to Monterana after a violent episode, Don Camillo longs for a familiar Face
When the Rains Came-- when the rains come, the village cries for its exiled shepherd
The Bell-- the village is finally flooded, but Don Camillo holds the fort for his evacuee parishioners
Everyone at His Post -- the flooded town is deserted, except for old Maroli, determined to die in his bed
Appointment at Midnight -- winter arrives; will Peppone's boycott of the church last through Christmas?

(This page last updated 07 September 2001)

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