La sorte

by Federico De Roberto

"La sorte" by Federico De Roberto is a short story collection published in 1887. This early work shows the influence of Giovanni Verga's writing, particularly his focus on rural Sicilian life. However, De Roberto turns his unflinching eye toward different subjects: the declining nobility and the aspiring lower middle class of Sicily. Through eight stories, he explores themes of fate and social ambition that would later define his mature works, offering a glimpse into the rigid class structures of 19th-century Italian society.