Gladonia, Tristalia, Usitalia… la triste eco dell’Italia odierna nelle opere di Stefano Benni

• Authors: Agnieszka Piwowarska
• Languages of publication: IT

Abstracts

EN

The aim of the article is to reveal and analyse the allusions to contemporary Italy that appear in Stefano Benni’s writing. The study is based on three novels (La Compagnia dei Celestini, Elianto, Spiriti) in which readers can easily find and recognise various traits of today’s Italy hidden behind different names, such as Gladonia, Tristalia or Usitalia – traits so strongly rooted in reality that they cannot be ignored. The range of allusions to Italy is vast indeed: from politics to the city of Rimini, from passion for television, through consumption, to traffic jams. Additionally, the paper points out that these descriptions can be seen as chronicles of Italy; in fact, the analysis of Benni’s books displays changes which the country underwent over time, from the early Nineties to the New Millennium. Even if Benni draws the images of Italy which can sometimes seem distorted or exaggerated, they are always very close to reality. The article stresses the fact that what readers will find in Benni’s books are bitter but true descriptions of today’s Italy, with its problems and demons.

PL

The aim of the article is to reveal and analyse the allusions to contemporary Italy that appear in Stefano Benni’s writing. The study is based on three novels (La Compagnia dei Celestini, Elianto, Spiriti) in which readers can easily find and recognise various traits of today’s Italy hidden behind different names, such as Gladonia, Tristalia or Usitalia – traits so strongly rooted in reality that they cannot be ignored. The range of allusions to Italy is vast indeed: from politics to the city of Rimini, from passion for television, through consumption, to traffic jams. Additionally, the paper points out that these descriptions can be seen as chronicles of Italy; in fact, the analysis of Benni’s books displays changes which the country underwent over time, from the early Nineties to the New Millennium. Even if Benni draws the images of Italy which can sometimes seem distorted or exaggerated, they are always very close to reality. The article stresses the fact that what readers will find in Benni’s books are bitter but true descriptions of today’s Italy, with its problems and demons.

Keywords

PL

Stefano Benni; Italy; allusions; Italian literature

EN

Stefano Benni; Italy; allusions; Italian literature

• Publisher: Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu
• Journal: Studia Romanica Posnaniensia
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 41
• Issue: 4

Dates

published

2014

online

2014-01-01

Contributors

author

Agnieszka Piwowarska

Identifiers

DOI

10.14746/strop2014.414.009