The Magician’s House by Emanuele Trevi: in a healer’s lair

There are places that repel us, others that attract us. Regarding their father’s apartment that the Italian writer Emanuele Trevi and his sister are trying to sell after his death, the power of rejection exercised by this space on potential buyers is at its height. They only need to enter this first floor for the desire to turn on their heels to seize them.

Located in a residential area of ​​Rome, it must be admitted that the place is not a charming residence. The light barely penetrates it, the street it faces is noisy, the opposite is close, the brown carpet that covers the floor is worn, as are the tiles in the kitchen. This is the case with houses left in ruins. “Homes, just as much as boats, must be governed,” concludes the writer who can only note the repulsive effect exerted by his father’s dark shelter on young couples looking for a home. “Wear and old age had spread over these…