"Vannicola était un être exquis... qui dans les derniers temps de sa vie sacrifiait beaucoup plus à Bacchus qu'aux Muses et à Appollon..."

Autograph letter dated and signed by André Gide, 77 lines in black ink on four pages, addressed to his friend Félix Bonnafé from the Hotel Minerva in Sorrento, responding to a questionnaire concerning Italian poets and authors.
Traces of folds inherent to postal delivery, envelope included.
André Gide apologizes for responding so late to his friend's questionnaire: "Par suite d'un malentendu ou d'une négligence du portier de l'hôtel de Taormina, ce n'est qu'hier soir que m'a rejoint à Sorrente ta dernière lettre..." ("Due to a misunderstanding or negligence by the porter at the Taormina hotel, it was only last evening that your last letter reached me in Sorrento...")
Despite his great fatigue, André Gide complies with his correspondent's questions. He first discusses Giovanni Papini: "J'ai eu avec Papini, de très cordiales relations, au moment de son Huomo Finito qui reste pour moi son meilleur livre... il s'est écarté de moi et, je crois, m'a véhémentement malmené, pour des raisons (?) confessionnelles." ("I had very cordial relations with Papini, at the time of his Huomo Finito which remains for me his best book... he distanced himself from me and, I believe, vehemently criticized me, for confessional reasons (?).") then the poets Giovanni Pascoli (1855-1912) and Giosuè Alessandro Giuseppe Carducci (1835-1907 and the first Italian to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1906): "Plein d'estime pour Pascoli. Même réponse pour Carducci... divers poèmes et discours fort beaux..." ("Full of esteem for Pascoli. Same response for Carducci... various very beautiful poems and speeches...")
He seems to better appreciate humanly and know Giuseppe Vannicola (1876 - 1915): "Vannicola était un être exquis, une sorte de Pulcinello, sans grand talent mais sensible, affectueux... qui dans les derniers temps de sa vie sacrifiait beaucoup plus à Bacchus qu'aux Muses et à Appollon - au point de devenir à peu près infréquentable..." ("Vannicola was an exquisite being, a sort of Pulcinello, without great talent but sensitive, affectionate... who in the last times of his life sacrificed much more to Bacchus than to the Muses and Apollo - to the point of becoming almost impossible to frequent...")
André Gide finally addresses the essential and immortal ancients: "Je considère Manzoni comme un grand écrivain et un grand homme... J'ai longuement étudié le Dante, Boccace et Leopardi." ("I consider Manzoni as a great writer and a great man... I have long studied Dante, Boccaccio and Leopardi.") as well as more modern authors including Carlo Levi whom he discovered with his masterpiece "Christ Stopped at Eboli": "Je ne connais personnellement aucun de leurs auteurs récents mais suis plein de considération pour le livre de Carlo Levi, en revanche plein de réserve pour la Pelle de Malaparte." ("I know none of their recent authors personally but am full of consideration for Carlo Levi's book, on the other hand full of reserve regarding Malaparte's La Pelle.")
Finally, he shares news of his fragile health: "Ma main se fatigue. Vite avant de lâcher le stylo, je t'nevoie maints voeux pour la bonne réussite d etes projets." ("My hand is getting tired. Quickly before dropping the pen, I send you many wishes for the good success of your projects.")