Properties of Writing : Ideological Discourse in Modern Italian Fiction

Many of the great writers of modern Italian fiction--Manzoni, Verga, D'Annunzio, and others--share a strong belief in the transformational power of the written word. According to Robert Dombroski, each embraces literature as an institution and convention, and each adopts the novel form as a means of affirming life in the face of troubled reality. In Properties of Writing, Dombroski explores their work and the social, political, and historical issues that have emerged in recent Italian fiction.

In each of nine critical readings, Dombroski offers an original interpretation, reconsiders past assumptions, and redefines unresolved critical problems. The result is the first book in English to focus on the Italian novel from the perspective of ideological criticism. "Such an informed and comprehensive history of the modern Italian novel has simply not been available in English. Properties ofWriting is well documented, extremely convincing, and takes into account all of the useful recent criticism. This is not surprising, since Dombroski is one of the leading U.S. experts in the field of modern Italian fiction--indeed, an expert whose recognition is international."--Anthony Oldcorn, Brown University

Robert S. Dombroski is professor of Italian at the University of Connecticut and Distinguished Professor of Italian Studies at the City University of New York. His books include Antonio Gramsci.