Book by Alessio Baldini
Journal Special issue (ed.) by Alessio Baldini
Book Chapters by Alessio Baldini
«Non poteva staccarsene senza lacerarsi»: per una genealogia del romanzo familiare italiano, 2020
Made in Italy e cultura: indagine sull'identità italiana contemporanea, 2015
Pietro Cataldi (ed.), Per Romano Luperini (Palermo: Palumbo 2010), pp. 193-217
Papers by Alessio Baldini
The Italianist, 2017
In this article, I argue that Verga’s verismo should be seen against the
backdrop of the writings... more In this article, I argue that Verga’s verismo should be seen against the
backdrop of the writings of the meridionalisti, the public intellectuals
and political reformers in post-Unification Italy concerned with the
country’s South, as well as of his own early works. Although
scholars have long established the influence of the meridionalisti
on Verga’s verismo, the way in which he breaks from the basic
pattern of their moral imaginary has not been explored. By
looking at texts by the meridionalisti, I will show how these social
scientists were unable to come to terms with the two main
features of modern Italy’s moral landscape, namely pluralism and
the heterogeneity of values. More specifically, it is their Romantic
nationalism that prevents the meridionalisti from perceiving those
features. And this is where Verga departs from his sources, as well
as from his own early narrative fiction. Verga’s verismo is better
understood as a form of moral realism, which fully acknowledges
the pluralism and heterogeneity of the modern moral experience.
Moderna. Semestrale di teoria e critica della letteratura, 2015
This paper argues that Ginzburg consciously draws on the intelligence of emotions in her writings... more This paper argues that Ginzburg consciously draws on the intelligence of emotions in her writings. In particular, it demonstrates how Ginzburg conceives « Tutti i nostri ieri », her first major novel, as a device that readers can use to exercise their cognitive and emotional abilities. By reading « Tutti i nostri ieri », readers are encouraged to image the moral horizons and stories of other people, and explore the rich phenomenology of their exposure to moral luck. Thanks to its narrative style, « Tutti i nostri ieri » challenges readers, asking them to overcome their empathic identification with characters by monitoring and reflecting on their emotional responses. La vicenda che in seguito si snoda non è sempre puramente triste ma può rivelarsi triste e allegra ; e vi si riflette sí il disordine del mondo ma anche la sua strana luce. (…) Lo sguardo è svagato e attonito perché consapevole che dopo aver radunato un'ampia dose di partico-lari su un fatto, o su una persona, o sui gesti d'una persona o di un gruppo di persone, tutto resterà come prima e cioè senza senso, o meglio il senso di ogni cosa resterà incomprensibile, perduto nel disordine del mondo. Natalia Ginzburg, Sillabario n. 2 (1982) i. Introduzione : l'« intelligenza fisiologica » della letteratura C esare Garboli ha scritto che il punto di vista nella scrittura di Natalia Ginzburg è « femminile, oscuro, viscerale ». 1 Questo giudizio coglie tre aspet-ti centrali della narrativa e della saggistica di Ginzburg ; per non ripetere uno ste-reotipo sulle donne e capire cosa questa scrittrice cercasse di fare, è però impor-tante distinguerli e definirli più chiaramente. È Ginzburg stessa a chiarire che il rapporto fra il punto di vista femminile, quello oscuro e quello viscerale è un fatto contingente e non un dato biologico, perché risulta da « una secolare tradizione di soggezione e di schiavitù » che le donne abbiano « qualcosa di dolente e di pietoso che non c'è negli uomini, un continuo pericolo di cascare in un pozzo oscuro » 1 Cesare Garboli, Prefazione, in Natalia Ginzburg, Opere, i, a raccolte e ordinate dall'autore, pre-fazione di Cesare Garboli, 2 voll., Milano, Mondadori, 1986-1987, pp. ix-xvli : xxv. D'ora in poi indicherò questa edizione con la lettera O seguita dal numero del volume. Come ha notato Scarpa, questo giudizio è stato ripreso da tutta la critica successiva : Domenico Scarpa, Postfazione, in Natalia Ginzburg, Non possiamo saperlo : saggi 1973-1990, a cura di Domenico Scarpa, Torino, Einaudi, 2001, pp. 199-210 : 213.
In questo saggio sostengo che il Verga verista racconti il paesaggio morale dell’Italia moderna. ... more In questo saggio sostengo che il Verga verista racconti il paesaggio morale dell’Italia moderna. Attraverso la lettura di passi tratti dai testi dei primi meridionalisti e di Pitrè e passi tratti dalla Prefazione a I Malavoglia e da Fantasticheria, mostro come il Verga verista abbandoni l’immaginario morale del nazionalismo romantico, per dare forma alla sua immaginazione liberale e al suo realismo morale, grazie ai quali può raccontare dall’interno una pluralità di orizzonti di senso divergenti ed eterogenei.
In this article, I contend that Verga, in his Verist works, aims at painting the moral landscape of modern Italy. By analysing extracts from the texts written by the first “meridionalisti” and Pitrè, as well as extracts from the Prefazione to I Malavoglia and Fantasticheria, I show how Verga turns away from the moral imagery of romantic nationalism, and gives expression to his liberal imagination and moral realism. Telling stories from within a plurality of divergent and heterogeneous horizons of significance, Verga portrays the modern moral landscape of a diverse
and plural Italy.
In questo saggio l'autore sostiene che la lettura tuttora diffusa del Gattopardo come un romanzo ... more In questo saggio l'autore sostiene che la lettura tuttora diffusa del Gattopardo come un romanzo storico scritto da un conservatore non è accettabile. Il Gattopardo va invece interpretato come una saga familiare che racconta uno dei cambiamenti più radicali della società moderna: l’erosione dell’orizzonte di senso della famiglia patriarcale. Per sostenere questa interpretazione del Gattopardo l'autore riconsidera anzitutto le scelte di vita di Lampedusa e la sua concezione della politica. Poi commenta le sue riflessioni sulla letteratura e mostra come sia la stesura dei Ricordi a convincerlo a scrivere una saga familiare. Il saggio si chiude con un’analisi del Gattopardo, dove si mostra come sia il suo stile narrativo, che l'autore chiama “realismo modernista”, a condurre lettrici e lettori a immaginare dall’interno la scomparsa dell’orizzonte della famiglia patriarcale.
Allegoria 52-53, pp. 23-50, 2006
Reviews by Alessio Baldini
Allegoria No. 63 January-June 2011, p. 2222
Allegoria, No. 63, January-June 2011, p. 224
Allegoria, No. 61, January-June 2010, p. 208
Uploads
Book by Alessio Baldini
Journal Special issue (ed.) by Alessio Baldini
Book Chapters by Alessio Baldini
Papers by Alessio Baldini
backdrop of the writings of the meridionalisti, the public intellectuals
and political reformers in post-Unification Italy concerned with the
country’s South, as well as of his own early works. Although
scholars have long established the influence of the meridionalisti
on Verga’s verismo, the way in which he breaks from the basic
pattern of their moral imaginary has not been explored. By
looking at texts by the meridionalisti, I will show how these social
scientists were unable to come to terms with the two main
features of modern Italy’s moral landscape, namely pluralism and
the heterogeneity of values. More specifically, it is their Romantic
nationalism that prevents the meridionalisti from perceiving those
features. And this is where Verga departs from his sources, as well
as from his own early narrative fiction. Verga’s verismo is better
understood as a form of moral realism, which fully acknowledges
the pluralism and heterogeneity of the modern moral experience.
In this article, I contend that Verga, in his Verist works, aims at painting the moral landscape of modern Italy. By analysing extracts from the texts written by the first “meridionalisti” and Pitrè, as well as extracts from the Prefazione to I Malavoglia and Fantasticheria, I show how Verga turns away from the moral imagery of romantic nationalism, and gives expression to his liberal imagination and moral realism. Telling stories from within a plurality of divergent and heterogeneous horizons of significance, Verga portrays the modern moral landscape of a diverse
and plural Italy.
Reviews by Alessio Baldini
backdrop of the writings of the meridionalisti, the public intellectuals
and political reformers in post-Unification Italy concerned with the
country’s South, as well as of his own early works. Although
scholars have long established the influence of the meridionalisti
on Verga’s verismo, the way in which he breaks from the basic
pattern of their moral imaginary has not been explored. By
looking at texts by the meridionalisti, I will show how these social
scientists were unable to come to terms with the two main
features of modern Italy’s moral landscape, namely pluralism and
the heterogeneity of values. More specifically, it is their Romantic
nationalism that prevents the meridionalisti from perceiving those
features. And this is where Verga departs from his sources, as well
as from his own early narrative fiction. Verga’s verismo is better
understood as a form of moral realism, which fully acknowledges
the pluralism and heterogeneity of the modern moral experience.
In this article, I contend that Verga, in his Verist works, aims at painting the moral landscape of modern Italy. By analysing extracts from the texts written by the first “meridionalisti” and Pitrè, as well as extracts from the Prefazione to I Malavoglia and Fantasticheria, I show how Verga turns away from the moral imagery of romantic nationalism, and gives expression to his liberal imagination and moral realism. Telling stories from within a plurality of divergent and heterogeneous horizons of significance, Verga portrays the modern moral landscape of a diverse
and plural Italy.
This conference will bring together researchers who are specialized in different linguistic and cultural areas and working on different media. The objective is to examine the circulation, forms, themes, and cultural functions of family sagas in world literatures and audio-visual cultures, including radio, cinema, and TV series.
For more information, visit the conference website: www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/familysagas