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Italo Calvino e Massimo Bontempelli: la politica, la Storia, la letteratura degli "anni difficili"

Sica, Beatrice; (2025) Italo Calvino e Massimo Bontempelli: la politica, la Storia, la letteratura degli "anni difficili". Il romanzo. Teorie, forme, dispositivi , I (1) , Article 2. Green open access

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Abstract

This article explores the complex intergenerational relationship between the Italian writers Italo Calvino and Massimo Bontempelli, focusing on their differing yet occasionally converging views on politics, history, and literature during Italy’s “anni difficili”—the turbulent years surrounding fascism and its aftermath. Through a nuanced analysis of Calvino’s reflections on Bontempelli, the essay examines how generational identity is shaped not only by chronological distance but also by ideological and aesthetic divergences. While Calvino initially distanced himself from Bontempelli’s magical and abstract literary style, viewing it as politically evasive and incompatible with Marxist realism, he later acknowledged Bontempelli’s influence and embraced aspects of his fantastic imagination. Ultimately, the study argues that despite ideological differences, both authors responded to the historical trauma of fascism with a shared commitment to artistic autonomy and human solidarity, suggesting a deeper, unexpected convergence beneath their apparent divergence.

Type: Article
Title: Italo Calvino e Massimo Bontempelli: la politica, la Storia, la letteratura degli "anni difficili"
Location: Italy
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Publisher version: https://ojs.unito.it/index.php/ilromanzo/index
Language: Italian
Additional information: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Keywords: Italo Calvino, Massimo Bontempelli, WWII, second world war, politics, ideology, literature, communism, fascism, post-war
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of Arts and Humanities
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of Arts and Humanities > SELCS
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10213318
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