Massimo Bontempelli’s Followers (29)

Massimo Bontempelli

Born

in Como, Italy

May 12, 1878

Died

July 21, 1960

Genre

Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery

Influences

Luigi Pirandello, Novalis, Giorgio de Chirico, ...more

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Massimo Bontempelli was an Italian novelist, short story and theater writer, literary and art theorist and critic.

Best known for coining the literary term Magical Realism and creating its theoretical framework. His efforts to implement this specific poetics in his writings begin after his initial experiments, first with traditional poetry (Carduccian classicism) , then humorist, ironic stories (influenced by Pirandello) and short escapades in surrealism and futurism.
Despite forming a literary model for Magic Realism with his own novels and short stories, Bontempelli's importance as a Magic Realist writer is mainly neglected and overthrown in contemporary theories on Magic Realism. Only few authors (mostly Italian authors but A. C. Hegerfe Massimo Bontempelli was an Italian novelist, short story and theater writer, literary and art theorist and critic.

Best known for coining the literary term Magical Realism and creating its theoretical framework. His efforts to implement this specific poetics in his writings begin after his initial experiments, first with traditional poetry (Carduccian classicism) , then humorist, ironic stories (influenced by Pirandello) and short escapades in surrealism and futurism.
Despite forming a literary model for Magic Realism with his own novels and short stories, Bontempelli's importance as a Magic Realist writer is mainly neglected and overthrown in contemporary theories on Magic Realism. Only few authors (mostly Italian authors but A. C. Hegerfeldt, A. B. Chanady, I. Guenther as well) acknowledge Bontempelli's significant role for the development of Magic Realism, but unfortunately, not all of them manage to go further then Franz Roh's and Alejo Carpentier's theories in the debate over the origin and literary use of the term.

Bontempelli graduated from the University of Turin gaining two diplomas, in Classical Studies and in Philosophy.
He worked as a journalist, teacher and served as an artillery officer during the First World War.

In 1924 Bontempelli entered Mussolini's fascist movement and in the same year, together with his friend Luigi Pirandello, he founded Teatro degli Undici. In 1926, co-founded the literary review 900: Cahiers d'Italie en d'Europe with Curzio Malaparte. Despite Malaparte's abandoning the review even before the first issue was published, Bontempelli had succeeded, with the help of Nino Frank, to form an impressive editorial committee which included Max Jacob, André Malraux, Rainer Maria Rilke, and James Joyce and contributions from Pierre Mac Orlan, Philippe Soupault, Georg Kaiser, Ivan Goll and Ramòn Gomez de la Serna. In the first issue Bontempelli presented his theory of Novecentismo and Magic Realism and articulated literary positions that became points of reference in literature.

In 1930 Bontempelli becomes a member of the Italian Academy. In 1938 Bontempelli was offered Attilio Momigliano' chair at the department for Italian Literature at the Florence University (which Momigliano was forced to give up because of the anti-Semitic legislation) but refused the position and was subsequently banished to Venice and censored by the regime because of his critic towards fascist leaders.

In 1953 Massimo Bontempelli is awarded with Italy's highest literary award, the Strega Prize, for his collection of short stories L'amante fedele (The Faithful Lover). ...more

Combine Editions
Massimo Bontempelli’s books

Average rating: 3.78 · 4,458 ratings · 371 reviews · 95 distinct works • Similar authors

	Gente nel tempo 3.93 avg rating — 683 ratings — published 1937 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Il figlio di due madri 3.91 avg rating — 392 ratings — published 1929	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	La vita intensa by Massimo Bontempelli, Alessandro Tinterri (contributor) 4.13 avg rating — 132 ratings — published 1919 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Chess Set in the Mirror (The Nautilus Series) by Massimo Bontempelli, Estelle Gilson (Translator) 3.22 avg rating — 130 ratings — published 1922 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	L'amante fedele 3.82 avg rating — 96 ratings — published 1953 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Vita e morte di Adria e dei suoi figli by Massimo Bontempelli, Marinella Mascia Galateria (Contributor) 3.71 avg rating — 89 ratings — published 1930 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Separations: Mothers and Children 3.61 avg rating — 23 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	La vita operosa. Nuovi racconti d'avventure 3.68 avg rating — 22 ratings — published 1921 — 18 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Eva ultima by Massimo Bontempelli, Paolo Pinto (Contributor) 3.20 avg rating — 25 ratings — published 1924 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Minnie la candida 3.88 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 1927 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Massimo Bontempelli (?)

“Non s'era mai accorta che un gruppo di faggi, sul pendio di contro, dava un'ombra tanto nera. Non s'era mai accorta che una villa dall'altra parte, tra le basse piante di fico, era tanto bianca. Le forme e i colori intorno a lei prendevano una decisione, che le riusciva piena di sospetto.”
― Massimo Bontempelli, Il figlio di due madri

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“Arianna si rivolta, ulula, [...], crede essere sveglia e dorme e sogna, crede sognare ed è sveglia, balzata sul letto con la faccia bianca contro il biancore che cominciava a trasparire nel quadro della finestra.”
― Massimo Bontempelli, Il figlio di due madri

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“Nora ha voluto salvarmi." "Ti ha dato l'eternità?" "Cinque anni, abate Clementi, cinque anni". "Regalo orrendo. Non importa morire, importa non sapere quando. L'ignoranza è la giovinezza. Di mano in mano che uno un poco lo sa, lui se ne va. La vita è essere incerti, Dirce, la vita è non sapere, non sapere né quando né dove uno va, Dirce".”
― Massimo Bontempelli, Gente nel tempo

tags: carpe-diem, ispirazione, vita

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