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by Giuseppe Berto (Author), Gregory Conti (Translator), Alessandro Vettori (Foreword by)
Christ's nemesis Judas Iscariot remains a shadowy figure in the four canonical gospels, which give contradictory reasons for why this rogue disciple betrays Christ. But how would Judas himself explain his motives?
In Glory, Italian modernist Giuseppe Berto's final novel, Judas finally tells his side of the story. From his perspective, Jesus is the betrayer, a would-be political activist and social reformer who fails to live up to his promises. And by fulfilling his predestined role in the drama of Christ's death and resurrection, Judas himself is partly responsible for humanity's salvation, enabling them to be redeemed by Christ's sacrifice. As the novel probes into the psychological motivations behind his rejection of Jesus' authority, Judas emerges as a compelling conflicted character, a man who seeks to have agency even when he knows his actions are being scripted by a higher power. Through Judas's searing tortured monologues, this late masterpiece from one of Italy's greatest writers investigates deep questions about the nature of faith, rebellion, fate, and free will.Author Biography
GIUSEPPE BERTO (1914-1978) was born in a small town in Veneto, Italy, and went on to author numerous screenplays, short stories, and novels, including The Sky Is Red, written during his time as a P. O. W. in Texas. A controversial author in postwar Italy, Berto was nevertheless the recipient of the Viareggio Prize and the Campiello Prize, and his work has drawn more critical attention in recent years. He is the author of Oh, Serafina! (Rutgers University Press).
GREGORY CONTI has over twenty-five published translations, including works by Emilio Lussu, Rosetta Loy, and Paolo Rumiz. His most recent translations include novels by Giuseppe Berto (Oh, Serafina!: A Fable of Ecology, Lunacy, and Love, Rutgers University Press, 2023) and Edoardo Nesi (My Shadow is Yours). He has lived in Perugia, Italy, since 1985.ALESSANDRO VETTORI is a professor of Italian and comparative literature at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. He is the author of several books, including Giuseppe Berto: La passione della scrittura (Marsilio Editore, 2013), and is a coeditor of the Other Voices of Italy series at Rutgers University Press.
