Heart (novel) facts for kids
Heart (which means Cuore in Italian) is a famous children's book written by the Italian author Edmondo De Amicis. He was an Italian writer, journalist, and poet. This book is his most well-known work. He was inspired to write it by his own sons, Furio and Ugo, who were schoolboys then.
The story takes place during the time of the Italian unification, when Italy was becoming one country. It includes many themes about loving your country. The book was released by Treves on October 18, 1886. This was the first day of school in Italy, and the book became popular right away.
Heart also explores social issues like poverty. This shows how left-wing ideas influenced De Amicis' writing. He later joined the Italian Socialist Party. Because of these ideas, the book was very important in countries of the Eastern Bloc. However, the book's strong message of Italian nationalism and patriotism also made it popular in Fascist Italy.
Contents
What is Heart About?
The novel is written like a diary. It is told by Enrico Bottini, an 11-year-old primary school student. Enrico comes from a wealthy family in Turin, Italy. His classmates come from working-class families. The story covers the school year of 1881-1882. Enrico mentions that it has been four years since King Victor Emmanuel II died and Umberto I became king. He also writes about the death of Giuseppe Garibaldi, which happened in 1882.
Enrico's parents and older sister, Silvia, often talk to him through his diary entries. His teacher gives him homework that includes special stories. These stories are about different children from all over Italy. They are meant to be role models for the students. These stories are included in the book as Enrico reads them. Each story teaches a different moral lesson. The main lessons are about helping others, loving and respecting family and friends, and patriotism. These are called 'The Monthly Stories'. They appear at the end of each school month.
Main Characters in Heart
The Bottini Family
- Enrico Bottini: He is the narrator and main character of the book. Enrico is an average student. He is eager to learn new things and meet his classmates.
- Mr. Alberto Bottini: Enrico's father. He is strict but also very loving. He works as an engineer.
- Mrs. Bottini: Enrico's mother. She is a traditional homemaker. She is loving but also firm with her children.
- Silvia Bottini: Enrico's older sister. She cares for Enrico and helps him with his studies. Once, she chose to stay home and care for him when he was sick.
- Enrico and Silvia's younger brother: He is not named in the diary. He studies with Ms. Delcati. He does not have a big role in Enrico's diary.
Enrico's Classmates
- Antonio Rabucco: Known as "the little stonemason" because of his father's job. He is the youngest boy in the class.
- Ernesto Derossi: The best student in the class. He wins the top medal every month. He learns easily and does not need to study much. Even though he is smart, he is humble and not boastful.
- Garrone: A friendly and strong boy. He protects his weaker classmates, Nelli and Crossi. As the oldest boy, he often acts as a leader.
- Pietro Precossi: The son of a blacksmith who used to hit him. At one point, his father stops beating him. Pietro then studies very hard and earns the runner-up medal.
- Carlo Nobis: He is proud because his parents are rich. However, his father makes him apologize to Betti when Carlo insults Betti and his coal miner father.
- Stardi: He often competes with Derossi and Votini for the top medal. He loves reading books, even though he does not own many.
- Betti: The son of a coal miner.
- Votini: Another top student who competes for the medal. Sometimes, others notice his envy of Derossi.
- Crossi: A red-haired boy with a paralyzed arm. He is often picked on by bullies.
- Nelli: He has a hunchback and is also bullied because of it. Garrone becomes his protector.
- Coraci: A dark-skinned boy from Calabria, in the south of Italy.
- Garoffi: The son of a pharmacist. He sells toys and trading cards on the side when he can.
- Franti: A bad student and a troublemaker. He bothers people, dislikes learning, and laughs at sad things. He was expelled from another school before. He is expelled from this school after setting off a firecracker that causes a big explosion.
Teachers
- Mr. Perboni: The class teacher. He is kind and friendly. He rarely gets angry, but he is firm when students do something wrong. He is a lifelong bachelor and considers his students his family.
- Ms. Delcati: Enrico's teacher from the previous grade. She now teaches his little brother.
Book Adaptations
The book Heart has been made into movies and TV shows.
- In 1948, a film based on the book was made. It was directed by Vittorio De Sica and Duilio Coletti.
- One of the stories from the book, "From the Apennines to the Andes," became a 1976 anime series. It was called 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother. This series had 52 episodes and was shown as part of the World Masterpiece Theatre. It became popular around the world. A movie based on the series was released in 1980 and remade in 1999.
- Cuore itself was fully adapted into a 26-episode anime series in 1981 by Nippon Animation. It was called School of Love: Story of Heart (愛の学校 クオレ物語, Ai no Gakkō: Cuore Monogatari). This series was also shown on Italian TV as Cuore. School of Love: Story of Heart was very popular in Iran.
- In 1984, a TV miniseries based on the novel was made by RAI. It was directed by Luigi Comencini.
- In 2009, Heart: Diary of a Child was made into an audiobook by Carlos Acosta. It was available in English and Spanish.
See also
In Spanish: Corazón: Diario de un niño para niños
