The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily

Such a fairy tale can and should be read even by adults. It’s about how hungry bears came down from the mountains into the valley in Sicily and began to wage war on people. Or: this fairy tale is about how, when confronted with a human, even a bear can’t resist the temptation of power, deception, and profit.

This allegorical book—at once political and poetic—was written more than 70 years ago by the famous Italian writer Dino Buzzati. In his homeland, he rightly belongs among the outstanding national authors of the 20th century. His books are included in Borges’s library, and Lemony Snicket admits that «The Incredible Invasion of Bears into Sicily» is one of his favorite childhood books.

The book is read by theater and film actor Danila Chvanov.

«When it comes to children’s literature, the requirements are always special—not only because of the simplicity of the language and the vividness of images. Remember the well-known saying: “Fairy tales are lies, but there’s a hint in them”? And «The Incredible Invasion of Bears into Sicily» aims to be a “wide-age” work. It will be gladly listened to even by those who still can’t read, teenagers will read it with interest, and adults will also have something to learn from the heroes of this fairy tale. In truth, this allegory could be called “a fairy tale for children of quite a mature age,” and a discerning reader will immediately spot some resemblance to Saltykov-Shchedrin’s fairy tales. And someone may fleetingly see a resemblance to Ch. Aitmatov’s “The Scaffold.”

…The fantastic symbolism of the plot, the refined style of the writing, the distinctiveness of the manner—these are far from the only merits of the book».

Nadezhda Korchagina, Tamara Kochneva, Teikovo, «Nashe vremya»