Echoes of counterculture in Stefano Benni's humour

Boria, M, 2005. Echoes of counterculture in Stefano Benni's humour. Romance Studies, 23 (1), pp. 29-42.

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Abstract

Stefano Benni’s first novel, Terra! (1983) - a sci-fi spoof and a satire of contemporary life - set the trend for his subsequent fiction. Blending fantasy, pop culture, literary pastiche and current affairs, Benni’s political and social satires have been nationally and internationally successful. Less known yet crucial to the understanding of his fiction as well as to his use of humour are his earlier writings and their engagement with social and political issues. This study aims to show that the roots of Benni’s humour, with its coarse language, puns, pastiche and mocking tone, are to be found in the student spirit and political protest of the 1970s. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach which draws on social history as well as structuralist methods of literary analysis, it argues that the subtle rhetorical strategies employed, as well as the strong underlying political intent, militate against the dismissive label of ‘popular fiction writer’ attached to him by some critics.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Romance Studies
Creators:	Boria, M.
Publisher:	Maney Publishing
Date:	2005
Volume:	23
Number:	1
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1179/026399005x27368 DOI
Rights:	© W. S. Maney & Son Ltd
Divisions:	Schools > School of Arts and Humanities
Record created by:	EPrints Services
Date Added:	09 Oct 2015 11:02
Last Modified:	23 Aug 2016 09:13
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/21925

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