Chapter 14
- Please keep these annotations SPOILER-FREE by not revealing information from later pages in the novel.
Sgherraccio is a member of a movement in Malta which sought to break away from British rule and join Italy; also, more generally, irredentists are members of a movement which seeks to break away from foreign rule and join its ethnically related unit. The word was coined in Italy from the phrase Italia irredenta ("unredeemed Italy"). This originally referred to Austro-Hungarian rule over mostly or partly Italian-inhabited territories such as Trentino and Trieste during the 19th and early 20th century. Sgherraccio, like the Florentine Ferrante, is a fierce Italian patriot. His name derives from the Italian phrase alla sgherra which means "cocked" as in a cocked hat, denoting arrogance, and thus sgherro is a cocky person, i.e., a gangster or tough guy. The Italian suffix "-accio" denotes badness or ugliness. Thus Sgherraccio is a badass gangsta.
| Chapter 1 In which Benny Profane, a schlemihl and human yo-yo, gets to an apocheir 9/1 |
Chapter 2 The Whole Sick Crew 44/39 |
Chapter 3 In which Stencil, a quick-change artist, does eight impersonations 61/59 |
Chapter 4 In which Esther gets a nose job 95/97 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapter 5 In which Stencil nearly goes West with an alligator 111/115 |
Chapter 6 In which Profane returns to street level 134/141 |
Chapter 7 She hangs on the western wall 152/161 |
Chapter 8 In which Rachel gets her yo-yo back, Roony sings a song, and Stencil calls on Bloody Chiclitz 213/229 |
| Chapter 9 Mondaugen's story 229/247 |
Chapter 10 In which various sets of young people get together 280/305 |
Chapter 11 Confessions of Fausto Maijstral 304/333 |
Chapter 12 In which things are not so amusing 347/385 |
| Chapter 13 In which the yo-yo string is revealed as a state of mind 367/407 |
Chapter 14 V. in love 393/437 |
Chapter 15 Sahha 415/461 |
Chapter 16 Valletta 424/471 |
| Epilogue, 1919 456/507 |
