Investigating Fascism: Crime, Mystery, and the Fascist Ventennio in the Historical Novel

by Angelo Castagnino

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433134258
Publisher:	Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers
Publication date:	08/23/2017
Series:	Currents in Comparative Romance Languages and Literatures , #246
Pages:	202
Product dimensions:	5.91(w) x 8.86(h) x (d)

About the Author

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).

Table of Contents

Introduction – Chapter 1. The Realistic, the Romantic, and the Fantastic in Maurizio De Giovanni’s Series of Commissario Ricciardi – Justice, Mystery, Loneliness: Leonardo Sciascia’s Porte aperte and La scomparsa di Majorana – A Sicilian Carnival: Laughter and Subversion in Andrea Camilleri’s Historical Novels – A History of Violence: Antonio Pennacchi’s Historical Novels – Not All Are Equal Before the Law: Fascist Impunity in Women’s Narratives – Fascism from Afar: Historical Novels Set Abroad – The Detective at a Crossroads: Individual Identity at the End of the Regime – Conclusion – Appendix: Biographical Information about the Authors – Bibliography.