“Quel posto vuoto accanto a me” by Marco Gallo, published by Pathos Edizioni, is a story that unfolds with the quiet simplicity of life’s most essential moments—those moments that often slip by unnoticed, like the small talk between strangers, or the weight of a chair left empty.
The novel centers around an eighty-year-old man who spends his days sitting alone on a faded bench in a park, his mind wandering through the memories of a life long lived.
Pathos Edizioni, the publisher behind this book, has carved out a niche in bringing to light works that delve deep into the human condition. Their catalog is known for highlighting stories that are grounded in everyday lives, yet possess an undeniable emotional weight. With Quel posto vuoto accanto a me, Pathos Edizioni continues this tradition, offering readers a story that resonates with anyone who has ever looked back on their past, reflecting on all that has been, and all that is lost.
Marco Gallo’s writing echoes a kind of minimalism—a style that is reminiscent of Raymond Carver. There is no pretense here, no excess. The prose is sparse but precise. Like Carver, Gallo understands the power of what is left unsaid, of the spaces between the lines. He doesn’t need to say much, because the silences speak louder than words.
Gaetano Mennella is a man who has seen it all. From the streets of Naples to the bustling city of Milan, his life spans across decades, through war and peace, through love and loss. Yet, now, in his later years, he finds himself on a bench, in the stillness of the present, with only the company of his own thoughts. Gallo paints a portrait of an elderly man who, despite his age and solitude, remains fiercely alive in his memories. Each day spent on that bench is a quiet confrontation with the passage of time—a reflection on everything that has come before and everything that will never return.
The bench, in this case, is not just a place to sit—it becomes a symbol. It is the place where past and present collide, where moments of joy and sorrow are held together. The “empty spot” beside Gaetano is a constant reminder of what has been lost, and perhaps, what will never be regained. But in that emptiness, there is a kind of peace, a strange comfort found in simply being.
The beauty of this novel lies in its simplicity. Gallo doesn’t make grand statements; rather, he shows us the small, often unnoticed moments that make up a life. There is no grand epiphany in Gaetano’s story, no dramatic resolution. Instead, there is just the quiet continuation of life, the subtle reflections that come with age, and the ongoing search for meaning in a world that is constantly changing. Like the aging body that slows and weakens over time, the narrative moves with the same quiet inevitability, carrying with it the weight of experience.
Through his stark prose, Gallo asks us to pause, to look around, to recognize the meaning in the quietest corners of our lives. The narrative is less about plot and more about presence. It’s about the ways in which we come to terms with the life we’ve lived, the choices we’ve made, and the people we’ve loved. In that regard, Quel posto vuoto accanto a me offers a poignant meditation on memory, loss, and the passage of time.
Marco Gallo’s Quel posto vuoto accanto a me is a book that lingers in your mind long after you’ve finished reading. It’s a novel that doesn’t demand your attention with flashy gestures or complex twists, but rather pulls you in with its honesty and subtlety. Pathos Edizioni has once again showcased its knack for publishing works that explore the depth of human emotion with restraint and grace. Like Carver, Gallo leaves you with something to think about, something to reflect on. The empty space beside Gaetano becomes, in the end, a mirror for all of us—the places we’ve been, the people we’ve lost, and the quiet moments that define who we are.