CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE

Academic Year 2025/2026 - Teacher: ANDREA SCHEMBARI

Expected Learning Outcomes

The course aims to convey to students the knowledge of the fundamentals of the twentieth century's literary civilization, through the reading and commenting of works and authors representative of the period and the in-depth study of specific themes. It also aims to provide the essential methodological tools for the critical analysis of the text, to foster the development of autonomy in the research and use of bibliographic sources, as well as to increase the ability to cross-reference the knowledge acquired with other related, complementary disciplines.

Detailed Course Content

Module A

Twentieth century poetry

Module B

Twentieth century prose

Textbook Information

For the knowledge of the general features of the history of Italian literature in the twentieth century and of the authors to be studied in depth according to the program indications, the use of the following manuals is recommended:

Alberto Casadei, Marco Santagata, Manuale di letteratura italiana contemporanea, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2024 (2007) pp. 51-88, 102-111, 136-163, 177-187, 203-220, 231-287, 292-299, 305-309, 363-371, 390-392.

Andrea Battistini (a cura di), Storia della letteratura italiana, vol. 6, Il Novecento (a cura di Alberto Casadei), Bologna, il Mulino 2014, pp. 1-194 (available at the library «Biblioteca di Lingue» )

Any critical in-depth texts will be indicated and provided during the lessons (or during the teacher’s office hours), and made available on the Studium online platform (about 40 pages).

Module A:

A selection of poetic texts (about fifty) by Guido Gozzano, Umberto Saba, Giuseppe Ungaretti, Eugenio Montale, Cesare Pavese, Attilio Bertolucci, Giorgio Caproni. The texts, with relative comments and analyses, will be indicated and provided during the lessons (or during the teacher’s office hours) and made available on the Studium online platform.

Module B

1)         A book of your choice from the following:

Federigo Tozzi, Con gli occhi chiusi (edition of your choice, about 200 pages).

Vitaliano Brancati, Il bell’Antonio, Mondadori (278 pages).

2)         A book of your choice from the following:

Anna Maria Ortese, Il mare non bagna Napoli, Adelphi (176 pages).

Anna Maria Ortese, Silenzio a Milano, La Tartaruga (140 pages).

3)         A book of your choice from the following:

Beppe Fenoglio, La paga del sabato, Einaudi (136 pages).

Leonardo Sciascia, L’antimonio, da Id., Gli zii di Sicilia, Adelphi (about 70 pages).

4)         A book of your choice from the following:

Italo Calvino, Il barone rampante, Mondadori (228 pages).

Leonardo Sciascia, Candido ovvero un sogno fatto in Sicilia, Adelphi (137 pages).

The course program is valid for both attending and non-attending students. However, active and consistent attendance is recommended to facilitate the acquisition of appropriate reading techniques and metrical and rhetorical commentary on the proposed texts.

Please remember that in compliance with art 171 L22.04.1941, n. 633 and its amendments, it is illegal to copy entire books or journals, only 15% of their content can be copied.

For further information on sanctions and regulations concerning photocopying please refer to the regulations on copyright (Linee Guida sulla Gestione dei Diritti d’Autore) provided by AIDRO - Associazione Italiana per i Diritti di Riproduzione delle opere dell’ingegno (the Italian Association on Copyright).

All the books listed in the programs can be consulted in the Library.
VERSIONE IN ITALIANO