Il Rinascimento della novella

Overview & Synopsis

The twenty essays collected in this volume set to explore the multifarious nature of the fifteenth and sixteenth century Italian novella from different angles. Novella texts are approached with respect to their being either single (spicciolate)or multiple (collections) entities; to the language chosen (Latin, vernacular, dialect); to the alternation of prose and verse. Further relevant aspects examined include the genre’s literary sources and lasting legacy; its place in sixteenth-century genre doctrine; the link with orality; the ambivalent relationship with women’s audiences and the complex characterization of female characters; the ties with other literary genres; the European dissemination and reception.