20th Century Italian Fiction

Course Times & Enrolment

This course is currently unavailable.

Course Summary

Italian writers of the 20th century employed a dazzling array of styles to reflect some of the major socio-historical events of their time. With a focus on short works from key Italian writers (translated in to English), this course will provide a stimulating introduction to Italy’s extraordinary literary output.

Course Details

Pre-requisites for enrolment

No previous knowledge of the subject is assumed.

Content of Course

1. Giuseppe Tomasi De Lampedusa

2. Lalla Romano

3. Giorgio Bassani

4. Umberto Eco

5. Gianni Celati

Teaching method(s)

10 two-hour seminars which will include an overview of the writer’s career and in-depth discussion of the named text(s).

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

Describe the formal and thematic traits of a range of 20^th Century Italian writers;
Understand the socio-cultural backdrop to the writers’ work;
Identify the links and possible patterns of influence between different generations of Italian writers.

Sources

Core Readings

Recommended

Calvino, I., 1999. Why Read The Classics? London: Jonathan Cape.
Hainsworth, P., and Robey, D., 2012. Italian Literature: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Class Handouts

PDFs of the novellas / stories will be provided by the tutor.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.