In a light tone, Bassani recalls the people he encountered and recounts holidays by the sea, as well as themes of happiness, sorrow, and jealousy. His settings include hotels of questionable reputation, a shabby fairground, the police station, or the Jewish cemetery in Ferrara. The 1930s in Italy represent the "golden age" of the Sfatti, the hedonists, while also being the time of the rising fascism.