The Oxford Companion to Italian Literature (Oxford Companions S.)
- Book Review,
by Peter Hainsworth (Editor), David Robey (Editor)
From Booklist
Oxford Companions to English, French, and German literature are now joined by one that aims to present the whole of Italian literature, from the early thirteenth century to the present.Not surprisingly, ample space is afforded to important authors, such as Giovanni Boccaccio, Dante Alighieri, and Francesco Petrarch, from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, to Umberto Eco and Luigi Pirandello, from the twentieth. These are matched by shorter entries on minor, yet significant, figures, including Carlo Collodi, author of the much-loved children's story Pinocchio. Important literary works appear under their English title when extremely well known as such (e.g., Dante's Divine Comedy , not Divina Commedia ). Otherwise, one must know the Italian (e.g., Pirandello's Sei personaggi in cerca d'autore , not Six Characters in Search of an Author ). Literary genres and movements are presented along with entries on Literary theory, Semiotics, and Textual criticism. The importance of literary magazines and publishers is covered, including individual entries on specific literary journals such as Il Ponte and publishing houses such as Rizzoli. Entries treat Italian literature written in Latin and various dialects as well as the influence of classical and patristic writings on Italian literature. The social and political contexts in which Italian literature has developed are covered in some detail, with entries on important cities, historical events, and political philosophies. The nearly 2,400 entries are alphabetically arranged and were written by a team of international Italianists. Only the lengthier entries include supplemental bibliographies and usually provide no more than one or two references. The prefatory matter includes a nice introduction not only to the Companion itself but also to Italian literature.Two other recent reference works deserve mention. The Dictionary of Italian Literature (rev. ed., Greenwood, 1996) contains 362 entries, the majority of which are devoted to authors. The essays are far lengthier and provide substantial supplemental bibliographies. The Feminist Encyclopedia of Italian Literature (Greenwood, 1997) is not, as the title might suggest, an encyclopedia of Italian women writers. Rather, it examines the Italian literary tradition in a feminist perspective. The Oxford Companion to Italian Literature is the most comprehensive reference tool for Italian literature in English, the brevity of most entries notwithstanding. Recommended for academic and large public library collections. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Book Description
This is the first comprehensive reference work on Italian literature to be published in English. With 2,400 entries from an international team of scholars, it provides a wealth of clear, up-to-date assessments of Italy's writers, famous and not so famous, from 1200 to 2000. It covers writers who wrote in Italian, dialect, or Latin, and offers vital background information on historical events, regional culture, and the other arts.
Book Info
The first comprehensive reference work on Italian literature to be published in English. Covers writers who wrote in Italian, dialect, or Latin, and offers vital background information on historical events, regional culture, and the other arts.
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