“The Bewitched Jacket” is a short story by Dino Buzzati, an Italian writer known for, among other things, short stories that often contain elements of science fiction, fantasy or horror, with some of them fitting the category of magical realism. This story is about a man who buys a remarkable suit that allows him to live the good life, but at a high cost. Here’s a summary of “The Bewitched Jacket”.
“The Bewitched Jacket” Summary
While attending a dinner party in Milan, the narrator meets a well-bred man with an air of sadness whose suit is tailored beautifully. He asks about it and obtains a referral to the tailor, Alfonso Corticella, a little-known master of the craft. The man says he got the suit three years ago and still hasn’t been billed for it.
The narrator visits Corticella’s place. He’s a little old man with dyed black hair. They select a material of gray wool and Corticella takes his measurements. He’s not in a hurry to be paid. He’s congenial but the narrator feels uneasy about him while going home. The suit arrives three weeks later. Although it’s a masterpiece, he doesn’t really want to wear it, probably because it reminds him of the off-putting tailor.
Weeks later, he finally wears the suit to work on a rainy April day. It fits perfectly. After a few hours, he finds a ten thousand lire note in the right pocket. He’s astounded; perhaps Corticella had accidentally put a customer’s payment into the pocket. He’s going to send him a letter about it when, reaching in again, he finds another ten thousand lire note. He dismisses his secretary and pulls out a third banknote. The narrator claims to feel poorly and leaves the office early.
At home, he pulls note after note out the pocket. When the production finally diminishes, he has 58 million lire, which he places in an old trunk.
The next morning, the maid wants to brush his suit but he says he has to leave right away. He plans to buy a similar suit and give her that one, while keeping this one hidden away. On the street, whenever he touches the pocket, he feels paper money inside.
“The Bewitched Jacket” Summary, Cont’d
The next day, the newspaper reports the robbery of a bank’s armored car where a bystander is killed and the thieves make away with 58 million lire. The narrator wonders about a possible connection and is confused.
That evening, he extracts another 135 million from the jacket. Feeling unsettled, he has trouble sleeping. He rushes out for a paper in the morning and reads of a terrible warehouse fire that consumed the safes of a real estate company containing over 130 million in cash. Two firemen died in the blaze.
The narrator knows that his money comes from crime, blood and death. He continues to withdraw the money, not acknowledging any responsibility. Without revealing his newfound wealth to his associates, he starts living lavishly. He buys a huge villa (but also keeps his old place), fancy cars, paintings, and leaves his job to travel for his health, accompanied by beautiful women.
The narrator knows terrible things happen every time he takes out more money. His conscience is degraded, and he’s only vaguely aware of his fault. When he tries to pay Corticella, he finds the tailor has left the country. He knows he’s made a dark deal.
One morning, a sixty-year-old woman in his building kills herself for losing her monthly pension payment of 30 thousand lire, which he had taken from his pocket the day before. He’s had enough and decides to destroy the jacket.
The narrator drives to a secluded valley in the Alps and walks beyond the forest to the rocks. He sprinkles the jacket with kerosene and burns it to ashes between two boulders. When it’s destroyed, he hears a voice behind him say “Too late”. Terrified, he jumps from rock to rock looking around, but there’s no one in sight.
Apart from this scare, the narrator is relieved as he walks back to his car. He’s free now and still rich. His car is gone. Back in the city, his villa is gone, his savings account and safety deposit boxes are empty, and his trunk contains only dust. He has to go back to work, where he struggles to get through the days. No one seems surprised by his change in fortune.
He knows it’s not over. One day, the tailor will come to his door for the final settling of his account.
I hope this summary of “The Bewitched Jacket” by Dino Buzzati was helpful.