| CODE | ITL2025 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Dal giallo alla fantascienza: letteratura italiana di genere | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | Not Applicable | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Italian | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | In the introductory part of the study-unit, the notion of genre will be examined. This will be followed by an analysis of the main genres of Italian popular literature such as science-fiction, thrillers, adventure stories, fantasy literature and detective fiction from the late 19th century to the present day, with a particular focus on a number of authors, publishing houses as well as widely circulated series and magazines. The writers that will be studied may include Francesco Mastriani, Emilio Salgari, Giorgio Scerbanenco, Valerio Evangelisti, Eraldo Baldini. This literary production will be analysed in the light of the key historical, social and political events which exerted a strong influence on its reception and evolution. Study-unit Aims: - To introduce students to the basic notion of popular literature through a reconstruction of its genres and its development in modern culture (not only the Italian one); - To introduce students to some of the most influential authors and publishing houses of Italian popular fiction; - To discuss the ongoing debate on the social role of popular literature in Italian culture from the late 19th century till the present. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Critically appraise popular short stories and novels according to the genres and the reading public they have been conceived for; - Discuss popular literature as a cultural phenomenon but also in relationship with historical and political events; - Have an in-depth knowledge of the tools and techniques of the language used in popular literature. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Enhance their skills in textual analysis via an understanding of the key concepts and the terminology of literary criticism related to popular fiction; - Develop the skills which are necessary for the analysis of popular literary texts; - Transfer the ability of analysing the cultural and ideological ramifications in short stories and novels to the analysis of language and style in popular literature. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Valentino Cecchetti, Generi della letteratura popolare. Feuilleton, fascicoli, fotoromanzi in Italia dal 1870 ad oggi, Latina, Tunué, 2011. - Alberto Abruzzese, La grande scimmia. Mostri vampiri automi mutanti. L’immaginario collettivo dalla letteratura al cinema e all’informazione, Roma, Luca Sossella, 2007. - Fausto Colombo, La cultura sottile. Media e industria culturale in Italia dall’Ottocento agli anni novanta, Milano, Bompiani, 2009. A reading pack with a selection of short stories and novel excerpts as well as a series of theoretical and critical readings will be made available. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-Requisite qualifications: At least an intermediate level in Italian or permission from lecturer holding the study-unit. | |||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | |||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Fabrizio Foni |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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