Today, fame is taken for granted and it also seems extremely easy to achieve without much effort. At one time, however, this was not the case at all. In fact, think of the enormous debts of Vincet Vang Gogh, today considered one of the greatest artists in history, or the story of the author JK Rowling, now considered one of the richest women in the world.
Similar is the story of Emilio Salgari, father of “Sandokan” and a great author full of debts while alive.
Who was Emilio Salgari
Emilio Carlo Giuseppe Maria Salgari (Verona, August 21, 1862 – Turin, April 25, 1911) was an Italian writer. He grew up near Valpolicella together with his mother Luigia, of Venetian origins, and his father Luigi, a Veronese textile merchant. The young Emilio enrolled in 1878 at Royal Technical and Nautical Institute “Paolo Sarpi” of Venice, without however obtaining the title of naval captain.
In fact, he abandons his studies to approach the world of journalism and writing. He began to publish his stories at the age of twenty, and made his debut with “I selvaggi della Papuasia” in the weekly “La Valigia”. Numerous other projects followed, including “The Tiger of Malaysia” which is very successful and allows him to obtain a considerable income. The story, published in the Verona newspaper “La Nuova Arena”, allows him to become editor of the newspaper itself.
The beginning of Emilio Salgari’s career
However, difficult years began for him. The death of his mother in 1887 follows a few years after the suicide of his father, who killed himself because he was convinced that he had an incurable disease. To these tragic events however, follows the happy meeting with Ida Peruzzi, a theater actress who marries and with whom she gives birth to Fatima.
In 1894 they decided to settle together in Piedmont and towards the end of the decade to go to Liguria, following Emilio’s work commitments. Called by Speirani, the publisher he works with, he returns to Turin where he moves permanently.
The great difficulties of Emilio Salgari
Here he continues his literary production by publishing ben five titles in just three years. In fact, between 1894 and 1896, “The treasure of the president of Paraguay”, “The seafaring stories of Mastro Catrame”, “Across the Atlantic in a balloon”, “The king of the mountain” and “The shipwreckers of Oregon” were released.
However, this thriving production does not allow him to heal them huge accumulated debts that indeed, from the moment Ida begins to show the first signs of mental disorder, they increase. This unsustainable pace leads him to a lot of stress, treated with large quantities of cigarettes and numerous liters of wine.
Moreover, these enormous sacrifices do not pay off even from the point of view of popularity. In fact, the author was not invited to the literary circles of the time and this gradually led him to nervous breakdowns, depressive crises and finally suicide.