Buttonhook Press 2022 Pamphlet Series
Mixed Forms: Sequential Art Narrative
Nicolò Monti & Alessandro Saccotelli
Graphic Adaptation:
Ernest Hemingway’s “Cat in the Rain”
(Click on the title to explore or download the free PDF.)
1920s. On a rainy, boring day, George and his wife Hadley are taking some rest in their hotel room in Rapallo (Italy). While George is reading a book, Hadley is staring out of the window at the square in front of the hotel, when she notices that under a coffee table there is a cat… A cat in the rain! She tells George, who keeps reading the book, uninterested. Annoyed, Hadley decides to go out. In the hall, she talks to the innkeeper about the bad weather, and then she finally steps outside. There, the heavy pouring rain bounces off the cobblestones, so she cannot see the cat anymore. Hopeless, she is thinking about getting back in the room, when she feels some air moving behind her: a maid, sent by the kind and thoughtful innkeeper, covers her head with an umbrella. The maid then asks her what is she looking for, and she can’t believe the answer: a cat? In the rain? They both go near the coffee table, but the cat is nowhere to be seen, so Hadley goes back to her room, empty-handed, and starts speaking with George. Through their conversation, we realize that the cat in the rain was just an excuse to find some happiness in their sad relationship, and a way to put an end to the woman’s restlessness. While they are talking, though, someone knocks at the door. The maid has found something for her: what could it be?
About the creative team:
Nicolò Monti (1998) studied creative writing and contemporary humanities at Scuola Holden, and scriptwriting at the International School of Comics – Academy of Visual Arts in Reggio Emilia. He published short stories and poems in Italian literary magazines such as Alibi, L’Irrequieto, and Progetto Babele. He wrote the comic books Cobras Fumantes and L’ultimo negozio di umanità, both published by Spaghetti Comics. He also wrote the comic book adaptation of the short story “After twenty years” written by O. Henry.
Alessandro Saccotelli (1998), was born in Puglia and raised in the Marche region, Italy. From an early age he showed a great passion for drawing and painting. After graduating from art school, he decided to study comics and attended ACCA — Academy of Comics and Visual Arts in Jesi. He is currently looking to start a career in French comic books industry.
About Ernest Hemingway: Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) was an American journalist, short story writer, and novelist. He won the American Pulitzer Prize in 1953 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. Much of his work is now in the public domain.
