The Cambridge History of Italian Literature

Contemporary Review, Dec, 1999

The Cambridge History of Italian Literature. Peter Brand and Lino Pertile, editors. Cambridge University Press. [pounds]70.00/US$99.95. 701 pages. ISBN 0- 521-43492-0. This is the first major history of Italian literature, or perhaps literature in the Italian language would be a better description, to appear in almost half a century.

It covers an enormous period, from the tentative and local beginnings at the end of the twelfth century to the works of Andrea De Carlo and Mario Fortunato in our own day. The aim is 'to provide a comprehensive survey of Italian literature'. Some who prefer theory to scholarship may be disappointed because the editors state at the beginning that that their work 'represents an act of faith in literary history as such and a belief that tradition, perhaps more in Italy than in some other cultures, is an important determining factor in literary creativity.' To achieve their aim the editors selected nineteen scholars from round the world. The book is aimed at general readers and, with this in mind, quotations are given first in Italian and then in translation, a most welcome devise for those whose Italian is limited. This must become th e standard reference for all those who value and enjoy Italy's marvellous literature. A new paperback edition of the work (ISBN 0-521-66622-8) is now available at [pounds]18.95 or US$29.95.