Investigating Fascism Crime, Mystery, And The Fascist Ventennio In The Historical Novel

Description

Investigating Fascism offers an original approach to the historical novel and its connection to crime fiction. The study of contemporary novels set during Mussolini's rule, with specific attention to the topics of violence, justice, mystery, and personal identity, leads to a discussion about, among others, Leonardo Sciascia, Maurizio De Giovanni, Carlo Lucarelli, and Andrea Camilleri. This text is based on two intertwining approaches: (1) an analysis of the ‘machine' of the novel, focused on such aspects as characterization, the construction of the setting, and the narrative use of fantastic and subversive elements and (2) an analysis of the sociohistorical Fascist context. This book is a valuable reference for those who study Fascism, the social function of crime novels, and the connection between historical events and fiction. Angelo Castagnino is Assistant Professor of Italian at the University of Denver. His previous publications include the book The Intellectual as a Detective: From Leonardo Sciascia to Roberto Saviano (Peter Lang, 2014). Cover......Page 1 Table of Contents......Page 6 Introduction......Page 8 Chapter 1. The Realistic, the Romantic, and the Fantastic in Maurizio De Giovanni’s Series of Commissario Ricciardi......Page 16 Chapter 2. Justice, Mystery, Loneliness: Leonardo Sciascia’s Porte aperte and La scomparsa di Majorana......Page 40 Chapter 3. A Sicilian Carnival: Laughter and Subversion in Andrea Camilleri’s Historical Novels......Page 72 Chapter 4. A History of Violence: Antonio Pennacchi’s Historical Novels......Page 98 Chapter 5. Not All Are Equal Before the Law: Fascist Impunity in Women’s Narratives......Page 120 Chapter 6. Fascism from Afar: Historical Novels Set Abroad......Page 144 Chapter 7. The Detective at a Crossroads: Individual Identity at the End of the Regime......Page 166 Conclusion......Page 202 Appendix: Biographical Information about the Authors......Page 206 Bibliography......Page 210