Illustrissimi

Illustrissimi: Letters from Pope John Paul I by Albino Luciani, translated by William Weaver, 258 pages

In his years as Patriarch of Venice, before ascending to the Throne of Peter as Pope John Paul I, Albino Luciani wrote a series of letters to famous individuals, all of them either dead or fictional, for publication in the Italian edition of the monthly magazine St Anthony's Messenger.  Illustrissimi ("To the Illustrious Ones") collects these letters to figures ranging from Charles Dickens to Empress Maria Theresa to Pinocchio.

Luciani writes with an unaffected charm that shifts between folksy wisdom and educated Italian humanism, the two modes united by the author's unvarying good humor.  Each letter is only a few pages long, a limitation no doubt dictated by the magazine format, but the result is that the pieces never become labored or strained.  The conceit of writing to figures of other eras and cultures provides Luciani with the perfect contrast with which to explore the strengths and weaknesses - and poke fun at the idiosyncracies - of his own without seeming crotchety.  The result is a remarkable book filled equally with charm and wisdom.