Italian Literature A Very Short Introduction [Paperback]

In thisVery Short Introduction, Peter Hainsworth and David Robey examine Italian literature from the Middle Ages to the present day, looking at themes and issues which have recurred throughout its history. The authors illuminate such topics as regional identities, political disunity, and the role of the national language and they cover a wide range of authors and works, including Dante, Petrarch, Manzoni, Montale, and Calvino. They explore some of the distinctive traditions of the literature, such as its concern with politics and its secular orientation in spite of the Catholic beliefs and practices of the Italian people, and they conclude by looking at recent developments in Italian literature, such as the influence of women's writing in Italian.

Preface
Introduction
1. History
2. Tradition
3. Theory
4. Politics
5. Secularism
6. Women

Peter Hainsworthis Professor Emeritus at Oxford University and reviews regularly for theTimes Literary Supplement.David Robeyis Professor of Italian at Reading University. Hainsworth and Robey co-edited theOxford Companion to Italian Literature.