28991 - Contemporary Italian Literature (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student understands a literary text in its ideological, structural, and stylistic elements and dialectico-social relationships, with particular attention to cultural semantics and symbolism of language. The student knows how to approach a text through a critico-narratological reading.

Course contents

The course is worth twelve credits, amounting to 60 hours (30 lectures, 2 hours each). The first week will be introductory and dedicated to the presentation of the authors whose novels will be discussed during the course. In the following weeks we will approach their works with closer and deeper reading and analysis.

 

Title: Not all, but a considerable portion 

The topic of the course alludes, with a slight irony, to the title of Emiliano Morreale's book just released in the PBE, which will be the main director of the the lessons: Il cinema era tutto (Cinema was everything). Scrittori italiani davanti al grande schermo (Turin, Einaudi, 2026). Retracing twentieth-century Italian literature in light of the relationships between authors and the film's imagination, not to mention the many practices associated with it (reviews, screenplays, adaptations, and much more), allows us to look at national cultural history, with some focused readings and many others suggested, through a complex and naturally changing spectrum that encompasses society, politics, aesthetics, morality, and customs and is therefore highly instructive.

Please Note:

Students who are not native speakers of Italian must prepare a shorter program than Italian students (4 novels vs 6). They are also requested to inform the professor of any difficulties understanding the lessons.

 

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Readings/Bibliography

Students will fully read:

I) Emiliano Morreale, Il cinema era tutto. Scrittori italiani davanti al grande schermo, Torino, Einaudi, 2026

 

Furthermore 4 books from the following list:

 

1) Mario Soldati:

A cena col commendatore (Milano, Longanesi, 1950)

Lettere da Capri (Milano, Garzanti, 1954)

La confessione (Milano, Garzanti, 1955)

Le due città (Milano, Garzanti, 1964)

L'attore (Milano, Mondadori, 1970)

2) Alberto Arbasino:

L'anonimo Lombardo (1959 ma Milano, Adelphi, 1996)

La bella di Lodi (1972), Milano, Adelphi 2002

Specchio delle mie brame (Torino, Einaudi 1974)

3) Luigi Malerba:

Le lettere di Ottavia (1955), Milano, Archinto, 2004

Il pataffio (1978), Macerata, Quodlibet, 2015

4) Gianni Celati:

Comiche (1971), Macerata, Quodlibet, 2012

Le avventure di Guizzardi (1973), Einaudi o Feltrinelli

5) Antonio Tabucchi:

Notturno indiano (Palermo, Sellerio, 1984)

Piccoli equivoci senza importanza (Milano, Feltrinelli, 1985)

Il filo dell'orizzonte (Milano, Feltrinelli 1986)

Requiem (Milano, Feltrinelli, 1991)

6) Goliarda Sapienza:

Io, Jean Gabin, Torino, Einaudi, 2018

 

 

Given the great breadth and variety of the bibliographies on all the authors in the program, precise indications regarding critical texts or essays to accompany the reading will be provided by the professor in class and, when possible, essays will be uploaded onto "Virtual".

Non-attending students will add the reading of: xxxx

Students presenting a 6-credit course will have their program shortened, in a way to be agreed with the professor by email or during the dedicated office hours.

 

Texts that are less available, or possibly no longer on stock, are in any case available at the Library of the Department of Classical and Italian Philology or in other libraries of the Polo Bolognese. The locations can be found thanks to the national Opac (www.sbn.it) or the Polo Bolognese Opac (https://sol.unibo.it).

 

Teaching methods

The professor will hold 30 lectures of 2 hours each. Discussion will be encouraged immediately after.
 

Lessons begins on II semester

Assessment methods

The test consists in an oral interview which has the aim of evaluating the critical and methodological ability of the students. The students will be invited to discuss the texts on the course programme. The student must demonstrate an appropriate knowledge of the bibliography in the course programme. Those students who are able to demonstrate a wide and systematic understanding of the issues covered during the lessons, are able to use these critically and who master the field-specific language of the discipline will be given a mark of excellence.

Those students who demonstrate a mnemonic knowledge of the subject with a more superficial analytical ability and ability to synthesize, a correct command of the language but not always appropriate, will be given a ‘fair' mark. A superficial knowledge and understanding of the material, a scarce analytical and expressive ability that is not always appropriate will be rewarded with a pass mark or just above a pass mark.

 

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is necessary to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

Video projector, PC, overhead projector, possibly slides and notes from the lessons. Essays from open access literary journals.

Office hours

See the website of Luigi Weber