When an epidemic has lasted for more than two years, our thinking logic has changed significantly. Social distancing, the safety considerations of the people we interact with, the propensity to consume, and how to make sustainable development of individuals and groups have become the main criteria for us to make choices. Conversely, when there are some kinds of large-scale gatherings, whether it is celebration or confrontation and conflict, or even war, we will feel that they are not in line with the development needs of the post-pandemic era. In addition to these most specific and immediate factors, the massive collective trauma that human society has just experienced makes us think further about what is the true path to salvation. As a "human thermometer", literature feels the signs of this aspect, and then provides ideas for solutions through various means such as novels, essays, and poems. If you want to understand any problem in reality, you inevitably have to look for it in the collective or individual stories in order to trace its causes and seek possible solutions. In the past year, Italian literature has offered several possible ways out of humanity's salvation: the excavation of memory, social transformation, the emancipation of women, and the examination of the society in which we live from the "perspective of God" are all ideas for us to get out of our current predicament.
Home of memories
The Book of Homeland
Andrea Bajani's novel Il libro delle case (Feltrinelli) is arguably one of Italy's most poetic and creative books of 2021. All the houses that have lived, such a baroque pearl, with different forms and certain commonalities, string together this necklace of the author's first half of life. The work is divided into 78 chapters, each of which is titled after a phrase that contains the word "casa", as well as an age, a definition of the house where the author once lived. Combining the titles of the 78 chapters together is a simple little poem that tells the author's upbringing. There are not many of them: his grandmother, his parents, his sister, a turtle that accompanied him in his childhood, and sporadic characters who appeared in his life. These "homes" are not only the background of each story, but also the memory of their temporary owners, witnessing his growth, the rooms, stairs, basements, and even utensils and diffuse smells inside have their own meaning, which also makes these "homes" themselves the protagonists of the narrative. André Bajni is both a poet and a novelist, and his narrative literature is often filled with poetic tension. In the arrangement of the plot, he makes extensive use of sensory and imaginary analogies, rhythmically scanning the house where he once lived, and the language is very condensed, as if it were some kind of wonderful "reality filter", filtering out for us a variety of different emotions: desire, obsession, dream and fear. This makes there a close connection between the writer's narrative literature and poetic works: he is a novelist who examines the world with the eyes of poetry, and a poet whose poetic works are full of narrative literary tension. In promemoria (Einaudi), the first collection of poems published in 2017, a teacher takes out words from a wooden box that begin with different initials, and then tells the students around him that they can build or destroy the world, can be born or died, can ask questions or answers, can be caressed or revenge... The 60 events listed in the poem that cannot be forgotten are like pieces of paper nailed to a blackboard, which are not in alphabetical order, and the sentence length of each poem is not the same. Beginning with the first poem in the collection, a restlessness creeps into the chaotic reality, and the eternally upside-down life is presented in unexpected ways. As a result, we gradually turn from practical things to focusing on those problems. The stalemate and sentimentality of life, the anxiety of life and death, have become a paradox, comedy and tragedy are intertwined, a very delicate balance between laughter and tears, and simple events contain complex emotions. In 2020, Bajni published a second collection of poems, Dimora Naturale (Einaudi), which describes a world that has gone astray and is in decline. In contrast, nature appears to be more powerful, except that it falls into the hands of inexperienced people and becomes a tool of taming. The works in the collection of poems revolve around three themes: animals, humans, and the inevitable connection with the "natural home." In this way, the characteristics of animals are highlighted, and the human beings, who are also animals, are so similar to other living beings. The poet imagines himself as a bird and compares home to a forest. In this way, the complexes that have served as homes for decades seem so useless. From wildlife documentaries played on TV, to seagulls and starlings flying in the city sky, from octopuses found with brains that stretch along their bodies, to flies painted on urinals. Surrounded by these animals, humans as advanced animals live on Earth just like these animals, seeking a connection with the Earth, while also violating and destroying it to the point of making it unrecognizable. The collection examines the world of man and nature with realistic, surreal, or prophetic eyes, creating images that spark sparks in the heart and leads the reader to emotionally engage. It should be pointed out that while creating the above two collections of poems, Bajni is also writing this "Book of Homeland", and in a poetic rhythm, reviewing and describing the first half of his life. Whether it is poetry or fiction, Bajeni's works are full of elaborate rhythms and strong emotions, and they all wander in the home of memory, such as crying and telling. At the same time, he is also paying close attention to the common memory and homeland of mankind, the connection between human beings and the "natural homeland", hoping to find a way to save the entire human race.
"The House Without Memories"
Donato Carrisi's novel La casa senza ricordi (Longanesi) is also a story of searching in memory, and this search also unfolds in a "house", but the house is invisible and exists in our minds. Hypnotists call it the "lost room." It was a distant and hidden space, with memories that we didn't like, and thoughts that we weren't aware of. In House Without Memories, a child who has lost his memory is found in a wood known as "Jigokudani". A few months ago, he and his mother disappeared without a trace, leaving only a car and a flat tire on the side of the road. Today, the boy reappears, while his mother is still missing. What happened to the two of them during this time? The police brought in Pietro Gerber, the best psychologist in Florence. His brilliance is the use of hypnosis to awaken important information buried deep in the children's brains so that the police can investigate the case. Through hypnosis, Petro Gerber analyzes the child's thoughts, and only he can talk to and listen to the child's thoughts, and find that those ideas seem to be instilled in him by someone. The child's language is fragmented and at first glance seems like nonsense, but piecing together those pieces makes up a crazy story and a huge mystery full of memories and fears. The novel is a sequel to La casa delle voci (Longanesi), published in 2019. The work also deals with a potential homicide: hypnotist Petro Gerber receives a call from an Australian colleague who recommends an adult patient named Hannah Hall, who is haunted by a childhood memory that is still alive and needs to figure out whether it is real or hallucinatory. Pietro used hypnosis to bring out the little girl who was still living inside her, reminding her of a very special and disturbing story. As a child, she often moved with her parents and lived a life of isolation. Strangers are a big danger for them. At the age of 10, the girl witnessed a murder. Or maybe she wasn't just an eyewitness, but the killer herself. Why did Hannah and her parents avoid all social contact? And, most importantly, what was hidden inside the little wooden box that this little family had been carrying, sealed with asphalt? Is Hannah a patient in need, or a dangerous criminal? Through these two novels featuring the hypnotist Pietro Gerber and the writer Donato Karisi, known for his famous novel The Girl in the Mist, we open up a new dimension of suspense fiction: there is no need to resort to serial murders or many horrific plots, because human beings, consciously and especially unconsciously, are enough to become the fascinating protagonists of a work. From this, we have a series of thoughts: What is the connection between us and our own thoughts, this "lost room," our real home? Our memories are always real, or are they controlled by internal or external causes. These "unconscious" and latent memories, born from the past, invisibly constrain our thoughts, and then disturb and even destroy our lives today. If you want to get rid of this entanglement, you have to find the "lost room" in your mind, open the door, and come out of it. Maybe this is the possible path to salvation.
The emancipation of women
"Lost Bread"
2021 is a bumper year for Italian women's literature, which is inseparable from the continuous heating up of women's topics in recent years, and once again confirms the advent of a new wave of women. Although these novels are based on personal experiences, generations of female writers have tirelessly described their stories of struggle. Edith Bruck's novel Il pane perduto ( La nave di Teseo ) , based on the personal experiences of the Hungarian Jewish female writer , tells the story of her life of displacement from the age of 12 to 18. Thrown from place to place by brutal war and tragic fate, this Jewish girl became a witness to the Second World War and the tragic history of the Jewish nation. That male-dominated world has made her suffer, but it has also created her indomitable and eternal struggle for a better life. Maria Grazia Calandrone's novel Splendi come vita (Ponte alle Grazie) centers on the relationship between a female writer and her stepmother, not only narrating the protagonist's personal experience of growing from an orphan girl to a poet and writer, but also showing the changes in Italian society over the past half century. And the huge differences in moral values and personalities between the two generations of women. However, the fierce conflict and deep misunderstanding between them eventually turned into the daughter's understanding and attachment to her mother. Giulia Caminito's L'acqua del lago non è mai dolce (Bompiani) takes place in the small town of Lake Braziano in northern Rome. On the surface, small-town life seems to be uneventful, but there is an undercurrent of conflicts of interest between classes and individuals. Under the education of her stubborn and strict mother, she changed her destiny and won self-esteem through diligent study, and overcame the inferiority brought to her by her appearance. Although these three female writers lived in different eras and their personal experiences were completely different, they all closely integrated their personal lives with the history in which they lived, making their personal stories a microcosm of social life. Several generations of women have struggled to find independence, freedom, and equality, and they have all ended up as good writers. Women's own liberation and literary path is their salvation.
"The Lake Is Not Sweet"
Another thrilling example is Viola Ardone's novel Oliva denaro (Einaudi). The story comes from a real historical event, the first italian woman to refuse to "marry a bongzi" and to file charges against the rapist. The story takes place in the small town of Martorana in Sicily in 1960. The protagonist, Oliva Denaro, was 15 years old that year. She is a "tomboy" who loves to learn and master strange vocabulary, runs desperately, looks for snails with her father, and throws stones at people who laugh at her friend Salo with a trebuchet. She didn't like the arrival of the "Great Aunt" because from that moment on she had to change her previous lifestyle, especially to protect herself from men, and to wait until the moment of marriage. Oliva is not a feminist, and she wants to get married and have children and live like her mother and all her friends; but at the same time, a fire of change is burning within her, that is, saying "no" to the male-dominated society that forces her to remain silent and obedient. After being humiliated, the traditional system of oppression tries to force Oliva to accept an insulting "solution", but she bravely rises up to resist. Oliva's "no" is not only a rebellion against one person, but also against the whole system, secular culture and rules, because this rule requires women to follow all the paths taken by their predecessors, let alone cross the line, or go against the ideas of men. In this incident, the girl's parents took a completely different approach. Oliva's mother is a typical Southern woman, and every day her only thought is: what will people think, what will they say? Tough and difficult to deal with, she represents the stereotypes of that traditional society: every gesture, every word, every choice has its own unwritten rules that must be silently obeyed to ensure that no one will gossip; women must marry so as not to become old maids; they must have children so as not to be judged into infertility; they must obey, they must not speak loudly, and they must not make choices different from social customs. Very different from the image of the mother is the father who silently leaves Oliva DeNaro to make his own decisions. He was a typical farmer, taciturn and sometimes even overwhelmed. Perhaps out of excessive love, or out of empirical wisdom, he could never completely oppose his daughter's decision. In his daughter's sad gaze, he would even turn into a child. The relationship between father and daughter is described subtly but profoundly. If the mother-daughter relationship is more a reflection of society's pressure on girls, then the father-daughter relationship is more like some kind of alliance. The silent dialogue and hidden tacit understanding between them is the only weapon they have to resist various obligations and taboos, and the only straw they have to save their lives. Today, although the law has changed and marriages brokered for honour crimes and to cover up scandals no longer exist, the repression and violence endured by women from society and from men has not improved substantially. That's why, in the 21st century, certain ancient topics still appear in our literature, and these "clichés" still have important value and symbolism. If half of its members still fail to achieve true liberation and equality, then human society cannot be truly redeemed.
The transformation of society
"If the water of the lake can laugh"
For Italians, small-town life is their roots, and the vernacular is an enduring topic in contemporary Italian literature. Novels of this type give dignity to people living in difficult and complex environments by telling memorable stories that happen to individuals with distinct personalities. These stories, which take place in various unique regions, eventually converge into the great history of Italy. Paolo Malaguti's novel Se l'acqua ride (Einaudi) is a prime example. The work focuses on the punctual barges that have been navigating the labyrinthine Venetian canals and lagoons since the late 1960s, especially the boatmen who drive them. It's a job for some of them and a heavy legacy for others. It is an ancient world of lagoons and rivers dominated by its unwritten laws and traditions. The protagonist, Gambetto, represents the generation of teenagers born in 1965. As a boy in the family, he gave up his studies according to his grandfather's wishes and inherited the "Tresina" and this traditional profession. In 1966, the year of the Great Flood, Gambeto learned to live with a paddle from his grandfather, Cuarón. Barge boatmen are an ancient profession, but the river water does not provide a solid guarantee for their lives, so many men are forced to work as workers in large factories. Navigating the Tresina, Gambeto felt invincible as he shuttled through the pier, the tavern, the storm, the sea and lagoon, the bells of St. Mark's Square, and the girls he met along the way. Soon, however, he couldn't pretend that nothing had happened. The story takes place in a transformative era in Italy, where toilets enter residents' homes, television is the most coveted item, and engines replace mara tugboats and rowboats. Although rivers still follow their own rules of ups and downs, society is moving toward modernization without hesitation. Gambeto has one foot in the "Old World" and the other foot in the New World. The gondolier industry gradually "set the sun", but the occupation was replaced by a young man. The work chooses young people as the protagonists of the story, precisely to closely link the progress of society with the growth of young people, so as to give youth vitality and hope for the heavy social transformation. On the cover of the novel, at the enchanting twilight hour, an elderly man paddles at the bow of the boat and a teenager sits at the stern. The message that such a picture hopes to convey to the reader is precisely the alternation between the two generations. The protagonist, Gambeto, is a witness to social transformation, undertaking the transition between old and new cultures, but especially the connection. In the face of a menacing consumer society, the older generation is full of sorrow and sadness, while the young people are full of hope and hope. However, young people should not become the gravediggers of the old generation, but should complete the inheritance and connection between the old and the new. This connection is also reflected in the smooth narrative composed of a large number of dialogues, and the use of dialect terms and phrases in the dialogue also adds color to the work, so that the characters and places, personal images and social backgrounds are organically combined. The extensive use of dialects in everyday life is also a prominent feature of a society that is still in transition, and like the young people at the heart of the novel, they are accompanied by the growth and progress of society, and they convey a positive message to the reader.
God's perspective
In Roberto Pazzi's novel Hotel Padreterno, a mysterious 78-year-old man makes friends with David, a red-haired boy who gives him a seat, in the Rome metro. Although the boy's mother, Anna, did not trust him, the mysterious gentleman who called himself "John the Eternal" cured his deadly brain cancer by simply putting his hands on the child's head, and this was only the first miracle he had ever made, and David also immediately understood the true identity of the old man with the child's intuition. In Rome, Mr. Eternity spends several months in a dilapidated two-star hotel, where he encounters strange characters, including David's father, the sensitive and delusional carousel caretaker, and David's mother, Anna, who falls in love with her little by little. At the same time, for John the Eternal, who strives to hide his divinity, the advent to earth also has a huge impact on his "divine realm": the Vatican has doubts about the existence of this mysterious old man, his son, like all saints and angels in heaven, guards his father and worries about his father's long stay on earth; the heavenly court without God is also very painful, and can only send two archangels dressed as elegant and beautiful young people to serve as sentries for him. However, John the Eternal is too attached to the earth, especially the human beings he created. He also wants to feel their feelings and love, including social injustice, diseases that threaten humanity, and evil that is always mercilessly destroying human beings.
Eternal Father Hotel
While writers often employ a "God's perspective" in their work to examine problems or express ideas, Roberto Pazzi's novels create a truly divine and human being. On the one hand, he is the creator of mankind, able to perform miracles that man cannot do, and he can avoid the threat of death and obtain eternity, and he came to mankind only out of love for his creations, hoping to know more about them; on the other hand, he was attracted to all kinds of ways of life in the world that were very new to him, and even fascinated by the feelings from the body: food, wine, even love and jealousy, and finally even showed the first symptoms of Parkinson's disease like humans.
The most novel feature of this work is that from the perspective of "Creator" or "God", it is a fairy tale about the weakness of human nature that is contrary to the will of the "Creator" or contrary to common sense. The "god actor" is actually the embodiment of the 76-year-old author himself. After a long life, he deeply felt that various contradictory factors such as strength and vulnerability, spiritual nobility and material disasters restricted the living conditions of human beings, and also showed the love and sorrow of the elderly, the helplessness in the face of social violence, and the physical fragility caused by the passage of time. Ultimately, "John the Eternal" illustrates the main reason he came to earth: to understand why the human beings he created did not want to multiply from generation to generation, as the Bible writes. The author's intention is obviously not related to religion, but only to play a game, is to examine the survival and problems of mankind from a higher perspective than ordinary readers, and then to make a sober reflection on the current situation of Western society, but also show the author's own compassion for the father or mother of human society: this society realizes that it has become weaker and thinner, on the one hand, it is always eager for eternity, on the other hand, it is full of anxiety and neuroticism, and even afraid of leaving its own heirs. This problem seems to be powerless even by the God who created them, and can only be solved by human beings themselves.