Strade Blu: Puttane per Gloria

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With his first three works of fiction, William T. Vollmann showcased his extraordinary talent, drawing comparisons to literary giants like William Burroughs and Thomas Pynchon. His latest novel tells the story of Jimmy, abandoned by his lover, Gloria, a prostitute. Overwhelmed by loneliness and grief, he attempts to reconstruct Gloria's essence through the fragments of other street workers' lives—purchasing locks of hair and snippets of their dreams. As he navigates San Francisco's Tenderloin district, he encounters a vivid cast of characters: Candy, who punishes her customers but resists derogatory labels; Snake, who exploits his wife; Nicole, who has a dark job; Jack, a drug user who still appreciates Chopin; and Gloria, whose existence may be a figment of Jimmy's imagination. Vollmann’s writing is a powerful exploration of urban life, confronting the solitude of the homeless and the marginalized. His exhilarating style and lyrical prose illuminate the struggles of his characters, revealing a world of harsh realities beautifully articulated by a writer of remarkable gifts.