Description
Book SynopsisThe Revolt of the Scribe in Modern Italian Literature offers a perceptive re-assessment of Italian literary culture, focusing on the nature of modernity through the literature of those who revolt against established norms and expectations. By exploring selected works from authors such as Deledda, Foscolo, Ungaretti, Bertolucci, and Valeri, Thomas E. Peterson considers the categories of vatic poetry, the feminine voice, and the writings of those situated on Italy''s cultural periphery.
As practitioners of literary Italian, Peterson argues that these authors are conscious of their role in preserving both language and tradition during a period of great upheaval and national transformation. At the same time, they use their writings to move towards change, combat alienation, and reconfigure the self in relation to the community. In treating the act of authorship in terms of its cultural and didactic significance, Peterson successfully bridges the gap between traditional l
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'The Revolt of the Scribe is a work of immense sweep as well as intellectual depth.' -- Charles Klopp Italica, vol 88:02:2011 'Peterson's volume offers an extremely original and thought provoking interpretation of Italian literary modernity, with its intertwining of stylistic criticism, epistemology, and ethics... The Revolt of the Scribe succeeds in providing an innovative interpretation of literary revolt.' -- Margherita Heyer-Caput Italian Culture Review, vol30:01:2012 'This handsome volume contains a collection of essays on a wide array of authors spanning a couple of centuries of Italian Literature...The book as a whole strives to present a coherent front, offering at the same time a great richness of detailed textual analysis, coupled with significant critical insights.' -- Giuseppe Stellardi Modern Language Review, vol 107:02:2012
