Alessandro Piperno
Encyclopedia
Alessandro Piperno is an Italian
writer
and literary critic of Jewish descent, having a Jewish father and a Catholic
mother.
He graduated in French Literature at the University of Rome
, where he currently teaches and researches. In 2000 he published the controversial critical essay on Marcel Proust
, inflammatorily entitled "Proust antiebreo (Proust, Anti-Jew)".
In 2005 he achieved notoriety with his first novel "Con le peggiori intenzioni (With the Worst Intentions)". Following general critical acclaim, and positive reviews on the Corriere della Sera
(defining him the "new Proust"), his book became a bestseller in Italy
(with 200,000 copies sold in a few months). For this book he won the Premio Campiello
for best first novel. The book narrates the story of the Sonnino
family spanning half a century, and especially the life of its youngest member, Daniel. The writing style is original and highly cultivated, but the plot seems strangely incoherent.
Piperno’s book attracted noticeable interest with the media, involving Piperno in a number of TV interviews and literary debates. His writing is described both as ironic and ironically self-referential, with a disenchanted view of society and life in general. His critics have emphasised Piperno’s difficult storyline and its allegedly confused narration. He states his inspiration as coming from the great literature
of the 19th century, as well as that of contemporary America
. Besides Proust (naturally), he’s been associated to Philip Roth
.
Piperno studied guitar
and has a strong interest in music
. Until 2005, when he reached success as a writer, he was part of the Roman rock-blues Random as the solo guitarist
and singer. He’s also a fan of soccer team Lazio.
--(transl. from "A la recherche de Proust", in The Gay Siècle, Monthly Diary, January 2006, p. 40)
--The Worst Intentions (2007)
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and literary critic of Jewish descent, having a Jewish father and a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
mother.
He graduated in French Literature at the University of Rome
University of Rome Tor Vergata
The University of Rome Tor Vergata is a public university located in Rome, Italy. It is one of the largest research-based institutions in the country. The University is an international center for research and education and it is well known for scientific studies...
, where he currently teaches and researches. In 2000 he published the controversial critical essay on Marcel Proust
Marcel Proust
Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust was a French novelist, critic, and essayist best known for his monumental À la recherche du temps perdu...
, inflammatorily entitled "Proust antiebreo (Proust, Anti-Jew)".
In 2005 he achieved notoriety with his first novel "Con le peggiori intenzioni (With the Worst Intentions)". Following general critical acclaim, and positive reviews on the Corriere della Sera
Corriere della Sera
The Corriere della Sera is an Italian daily newspaper, published in Milan.It is among the oldest and most reputable Italian newspapers. Its main rivals are Rome's La Repubblica and Turin's La Stampa.- History :...
(defining him the "new Proust"), his book became a bestseller in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(with 200,000 copies sold in a few months). For this book he won the Premio Campiello
Premio Campiello
The Premio Campiello is an annual Italian literary prize.A Jury of Literary Experts identifies books published during the year and, in a public hearing, selects five of those as finalists. These books are called il Premio Selezione Campiello...
for best first novel. The book narrates the story of the Sonnino
Sonnino
Sonnino is a town and comune in the province of Latina, in the Lazio region of central Italy.It is the birthplace of Italian national team footballer Alessandro Altobelli, and Roman Catholic archbishop Velasio de Paolis.-History:...
family spanning half a century, and especially the life of its youngest member, Daniel. The writing style is original and highly cultivated, but the plot seems strangely incoherent.
Piperno’s book attracted noticeable interest with the media, involving Piperno in a number of TV interviews and literary debates. His writing is described both as ironic and ironically self-referential, with a disenchanted view of society and life in general. His critics have emphasised Piperno’s difficult storyline and its allegedly confused narration. He states his inspiration as coming from the great literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
of the 19th century, as well as that of contemporary America
American literature
American literature is the written or literary work produced in the area of the United States and its preceding colonies. For more specific discussions of poetry and theater, see Poetry of the United States and Theater in the United States. During its early history, America was a series of British...
. Besides Proust (naturally), he’s been associated to Philip Roth
Philip Roth
Philip Milton Roth is an American novelist. He gained fame with the 1959 novella Goodbye, Columbus, an irreverent and humorous portrait of Jewish-American life that earned him a National Book Award...
.
Piperno studied guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and has a strong interest in music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. Until 2005, when he reached success as a writer, he was part of the Roman rock-blues Random as the solo guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and singer. He’s also a fan of soccer team Lazio.
Excerpts
- "Yes, Swann tries to forget his own Judaism every so often, at least as much as Saint-Loup tries everything to let others forget he is, first of all, a Guermantes. Evidently, however, Judaism as much as aristocratic descent possess such a force that they totally overwhelm the single individual. Swann and Saint-Loup cannot do anything against chromosome enslavement. This is why Swann’s face, at the end of his life, becomes as tragic and emaciated as that of Shylock, and why Saint-Loup’s backside enlarges so much that it almost overlaps the similarly illustrious one of uncle Charlus."
--(transl. from "A la recherche de Proust", in The Gay Siècle, Monthly Diary, January 2006, p. 40)
- "What’s the point of writing a book entitled All the Anti-Semitic Jews: From Otto Weininger to Phillip Roth, and including yourself implicitly in that rich list, when everyone knows that you are neither Jewish nor anti-Semitic but would like to be both? For the oldest reason in the world: cunning, sustained by the desire to live, to get the most out of the little life has to offer. Make it extreme. Render it attractive to others, at the cost of the deception inflicted on oneself… A half-Jew against the Jews. A half-Jew who accuses Jews of racism and a half-Catholic who accuses Catholics of ecumenism… that essay of yours is merely a grand anti-Semitic manipulation, devised to the detriment of your guiltless relatives, and to your advantage: that sense of pride that infuses you with a masochistic violence mistaken by too many for intellectual honesty."
--The Worst Intentions (2007)
External links
- The essay Proust, Anti-Jew, from website Marcelproust.it (full ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
text) - Profile for the Premio Campiello
- http://www.repubblica.it/2005/c/sezioni/spettacoli_e_cultura/invidia/invidia/invidia.html"Il caso letterario che scatena le invidie" - Article on La RepubblicaLa Repubblicala Repubblica is an Italian daily general-interest newspaper. Founded in 1976 in Rome by the journalist Eugenio Scalfari, as of 2008 is the second largest circulation newspaper, behind the Corriere della Sera.-Foundation:...
] - Article on RaiNews24
- I dolori del giovane Daniel - Article on Cattolica news, online magazine of the Università Cattolica del Sacro CuoreUniversità Cattolica del Sacro CuoreUniversità Cattolica del Sacro Cuore is a privately-owned Catholic university founded in 1921 by Agostino Gemelli. Its main campus is located in Milan, Italy with satellite campuses in Brescia, Piacenza, Cremona, Rome, and Campobasso...
. - "Un debutto al fuoco della controversia" - A synthesis of critical appraisals on "Le reti di Dedalus", newsletter of the Sindacato Nazionale Scrittori
- The polemics on the Feltrinelli network
- "The Piperno Case" on Nextbook
- Review of The Worst Intentions, on Bookslut
- Review of The Worst Intentions, on The Complete Review