1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910456362503321

Autore

Cannon JoAnn

Titolo

The novel as investigation : Leonardo Sciascia, Dacia Maraini, and Antonio Tabucchi / / JoAnn Cannon

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Toronto, [Ontario] ; ; Buffalo, [New York] ; ; London, [England] : , : University of Toronto Press, , 2006

©2006

ISBN

1-281-99203-8

9786611992033

1-4426-8191-8

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (145 p.)

Collana

Toronto Italian Studies

Disciplina

853.0872090914

Soggetti

Detective and mystery stories, Italian - History and criticism

Italian fiction - 20th century - History and criticism

Social justice in literature

Social problems in literature

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1. The Power of the Pen in Leonardo Sciascia's Porte Aperte -- 2. The Death of the Detective in II Cavaliere e la morte -- 3. In Search of Isolina -- 4. Voci and the Conventions of the Giallo -- 5. Ethics and Literature in Sostiene Pereira: Una Testimonianza -- 6. Detection, Activism, and Writing in La testa perduta di Damascene* Monteiro -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index

Sommario/riassunto

Detective fiction is a universally popular genre; stories about the investigation of a crime by a detective are published all over the world and in hundreds of languages. Detective fiction provides more than entertainment, however; it often has a great deal to say about crime and punishment, justice and injustice, testimony and judgment. The Novel as Investigation examines a group of detective novels by three important Italian writers ? Leonardo Sciascia, Dacia Maraini, and Antonio Tabucchi ? whose conviction about the ethical responsibility of



the writer manifests itself in their investigative fiction.Jo-Ann Cannon explores each writer?s denunciation of societal ills in two complementary texts. These investigative novels shed light on pressing social ills, which are not particular to Italian society of the late twentieth century but are universal in scope: Sciascia focuses on abuses of power and the death penalty, Maraini on violence against women, Tabucchi on torture and police brutality. In addition, each of these texts self-reflexively explore the role of writing in society. Sciascia, Maraini, and Tabucchi all use their fiction to defend the power of the pen to address ?il male del mondo.? The Novel as Investigation will be of interest to a broad audience of readers, including those interested in Italian and comparative literature, Italian social history, and cultural studies.