Einaudi, 2013.

(The Courage to say No)

The book, edited by Giuseppe Mendicino, reproposes conversations and interviews given by the writer between 1963 and 2007. It is divided into four sections: “La vita” (The life), “I libri” (The books), “Le guerre” (The wars), “La natura, le montagne, la caccia” (Nature, the mountains, the hunting), with a foreword, from an interview with the editor on September 22, 2006, that explains the title. Mario, in fact, tells of when, in the first camp of his imprisonment, in Masuria, in the fall of 1943, it was asked to him and his fellow soldiers, veterans from Albania and Russia, to enlist in the Republic of Salò. The answer was a unanimous no, with everything that followed. “I often repeat to the children I encounter,” said the writer, “learn to say no to the lures you have around. Learn to say no to those who would have you believe that life is easy. Learn to say no to anyone who wants to offer you things that are against your conscience. Follow only your voice. It is much harder to say no than yes.”

Among the interviews we point out the first, with his prematurely died friend Gigi Ghirotti, and others with Eraldo Affinati, Paolo Rumiz, Franco Marcoaldi, Dario Cresto-Dina. Among the dialogues, the three with Nuto Revelli, his former Lieutenant Nelson Cenci (edited by Alberto Papuzzi), and Ennio Flaiano about hunting. Finally, the conversation with the children of the middle school of Lozzo di Cadore.