Authorial Echoes : Textuality and Self-plagiarism in the Narrative of Luigi Pirandello

Luigi Pirandello is best known for his experimental plays, but his narrative production has not enjoyed the same degree of critical attention. O'Rawe's study represents the first major reassessment of this output, including the 'realist' novels, the historical novel I vecchi e i giovani (1909) and the autobiographical Suo marito (1911). The book identifies in Pirandello a practice of 'self-plagiarism' - constant rewriting and revision and obsessive re-use of material - and explores the relation of these overlooked modes of composition to the author's own theories of authorship and textuality. Drawing on a wide range of critical theory, O'Rawe repositions Pirandello as a major figure in the development of European narrative modernism. Catherine O'Rawe is a Lecturer in Italian at the University of Exeter. She has published articles on Pirandello and on Sicilian fiction. "Luigi Pirandello (1867-1936) is best known for his experimental plays, but his narrative works have not enjoyed the same degree of critical attention. Catherine O'Rawe's study is the first major reassessment of this output, including the 'realist' novels, the historical novel I vecchi e i giovani (1909) and the autobiographical Suo marito (1911). The book identifies in Pirandello a practice of 'self-plagiarism' - constant rewriting and revision and obsessive re-use of material - and explores the relation of these overlooked modes of composition to the author's own theories of authorship and textuality. Drawing on a wide range of critical theory, O'Rawe repositions Pirandello as a major figure in the development of European narrative modernism." --Book Jacket Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title 6 Copyright 7 Contents 8 Abbreviations 10 Acknowledgements 11 Introduction 12 PART I 26 1 'Non parola ma la cosa stessa': Pirandello, Metaphor and 'L'umorismo' 27 2 The Unrepeatable Repeated: Epiphany and Self-Plagiarism 59 PART II 88 3 Metaphors of History: I vecchi e i giovani 89 4 Authors and Authenticity: Suo marito 118 5 'Non conclude'?: Uno, nessuno e centomila and the Dangers of Overinterpretation 158 Conclusion 184 Bibliography 185 Index 199 Pirandello is known for his plays, but his narrative production hasn't enjoyed the same degree of attention. This study represents a reassessment of this output, including the "realist" novels, the historical novel "I vecchi e i giovani" and the autobiographical "Suo marito".