French Literature Reviews - 2026
A. Mounic, Italie du récit, terre de ses metamorphoses
Novel and Narrative Prose
Anne Mounic
Italie du récit, terre de ses métamorphoses
Paris, Classiques Garnier, coll. "Perspectives comparatistes", n° 70, 2019.
ISBN: 978-2-406-08027-5
305 p.
38.00 €
The Italian landscape is shaped by time. What all the examined works (from Stendhal to Giorgio Bassani, among many others) have in common is a deep intertwining of the Italian land and narrative. The narrative is described as a descent into oneself, revealing a unique existential profile against the backdrop of the infinite human epic.
Published in the Perspectives comparatistes series, this work belongs to the rich tradition of comparative literary studies exploring the relationship between space, memory, and identity. Anne Mounic examines how the Italian landscape, heavily laden with historical and cultural layers, serves as a catalyst for narrative transformation. By focusing on authors ranging from the French novelist Stendhal to the Italian writer Giorgio Bassani, the study demonstrates how physical geography becomes a psychological terrain. Italy is not merely a setting but an active participant in the characters' self-discovery and existential questioning.
This book addresses crucial questions about how literary geography shapes the novelistic form and how writers use specific cultural landscapes to map the human psyche. It will be highly useful to scholars and students of comparative literature, Italian studies, and French literature, particularly those interested in the poetics of space. By analyzing the intersection of land, time, and the self, Mounic offers valuable insights into how narrative acts as an existential descent, making it a significant resource for researchers studying the metaphysics of travel and place in literature.