A Private Matter (Italian: Una questione privata; also translated as A Private Affair) is an Italian novel by Beppe Fenoglio, first published posthumously in April 1963, two months after the author's death. The book deals with themes common to Fenoglio's work: the lives of partisans and the final period of the Second World War in Italy. Italo Calvino called A Private Matter, "the crowning of a whole generation's efforts to portray the resistance," and, "the novel that our generation wished we created."[1][2]
The story takes place in the Langhe. Milton is a young 20 year old university student who has joined the resistance movement, in a "blue" unit (those aligned with the monarchists), following the armistice of September 1943. He is in love with Fulvia, a beautiful girl from a well-to-do Torinese family, who he met in Alba where she had been displaced. After several months as a partisan, Milton, driven by desire and nostalgia, returns to the villa where he and Fulvia used to spend their evenings. Here he meets the housekeeper, who knew him before, and Milton asks to visit the places fond to him. During the visit, the elderly housekeeper mentions a relationship between Fulvia and Giorgio, Milton's friend and a fellow partisan, although in a "red" unit (that is, aligned with the communists). Milton, in shock, chooses to find Giorgio and discover the truth about the relationship.
He sets off to locate Giorgio's unit, but cannot find him. Shortly afterwards news arrives that Giorgio has been captured by the fascists. Milton decides to seek an enemy prisoner to be exchanged with Giorgio before he is executed. He receives information that near the city where Giorgio is being kept an enemy non-commissioned officer is in a relationship with a woman who lives nearby, and learns the location of their meetings. Milton manages to capture him, but he tries to escape and Milton is forced to shoot him. With all hope of freeing his friend now lost and with it the chance to find the truth about Fulvia's love, Milton returns to the villa. The fascists are there when he arrives, he is surprised and flees. Milton, is chased and shot at, probably injured and utterly spent, he collapses on the ground in a nearby wood.
Main charactersedit
Milton, the protagonist, a young partisan, somewhat gauche, in love with Fulvia
Fulvia, Milton's love interest, a young woman from Turin, displaced in Alba
Giorgio Clerici, friend and possible love interest of Fulvia
Leo, commander of Milton's partisan brigade in Treiso
Receptionedit
A Private Matter is credited with marking the first turn towards the personal in the novels of Resistance writers.[3] As David Ward notes: "Fenoglio makes the suggestion that the Resistance struggle itself acts as a pretext for another struggle, this one located at a deeper more personal and irrational level. Before focussing on the ideological underpinnings of an individual's decision to join the military struggle, attention needs to be paid to the personal demons that animate the consciousness and bear on the minds of the likes of Milton."[4] Maria Grazia Di Paolo, who completed the first English translation, regards the novel as the major piece of Fenoglio's mature works.[5]
Editionsedit
In Italianedit
Fenoglio, Beppe (1963). Un giorno di fuoco (Racconti moderni Garzanti ed.). Milano. p. VII, 297. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Fenoglio, Beppe (1963). Una questione privata (Opere di Beppe Fenoglio ed.). Milano. p. 177. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Fenoglio, Beppe (1978). Maria Antonietta Grignani (ed.). Primavera di bellezza ; Frammenti di romanzo ; Una questione privata. Vol. I, 3 (Nuova universale Einaudi ed.). Torino: Maria Antonietta Grignani. pp. 1260–2296. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
Fenoglio, Beppe (1986). Una questione privata (Nuovi coralli ed.). Torino. p. 155. ISBN88-06-59535-0. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
In Englishedit
Fenoglio, Beppe (1988). A private matter. Translated by Di Paolo, Maria Grazia. Peter Lang. ISBN978-0-8204-0591-9. OCLC 17106120.
Fenoglio, Beppe (2006). A private affair. Translated by Curtis, Howard. Hesperus. ISBN978-1-84391-426-6. OCLC 67375293.
Film versionsedit
Una questione privata (1966) directed Giorgio Trentin
Una questione privata (1991) directed by Alberto Negrin (TV film)
^Deigan, Frederica Brunori (2007). "Beppe Fenoglio". In Marrone, Gaetana (ed.). Encyclopedia of Italian Literary Studies: A-J. Taylor & Francis. p. 713. ISBN978-1-57958-390-3.
^Corvino, Nadia (23 April 2020). "Romanzi e resistenza: rileggere "Una questione privata" di Beppe Fenoglio". Il Libraio (in Italian). Retrieved 28 April 2020.
^Healey, Robin (1998). Twentieth-century Italian Literature in English Translation: An Annotated Bibliography 1929-1997. University of Toronto Press. p. 340. ISBN978-0-8020-0800-8.
^Ward, David (1996). Antifascisms: Cultural Politics in Italy, 1943-46 : Benedetto Croce and the Liberals, Carlo Levi and the "actionists". Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. p. 123. ISBN978-0-8386-3676-3.
^O'Healy, Áine (1990). Bricchi, Mariarosa; Saccone, Eduardo; Di Paolo, Maria Grazia; Pietralunga, Mark (eds.). "Four Critics and Fenoglio". Italica. 67 (1): 42–52. doi:10.2307/479065. ISSN 0021-3020. JSTOR 479065.
January 01, 1970
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A Private Matter Italian Una questione privata also translated as A Private Affair is an Italian novel by Beppe Fenoglio first published posthumously in April 1963 two months after the author s death The book deals with themes common to Fenoglio s work the lives of partisans and the final period of the Second World War in Italy Italo Calvino called A Private Matter the crowning of a whole generation s efforts to portray the resistance and the novel that our generation wished we created 1 2 A Private Matter1986 Einaudi editionAuthorBeppe FenoglioOriginal titleUna questione privataTranslatorMaria Grazia Di Paolo 1988 Howard Curtis 2006 LanguageItalianGenreNovelPublished1963PublisherPeter Lang 1988 Hesperus 2006 Published in English1988Pagesix 165pp first English edition Contents 1 Plot 1 1 Main characters 2 Reception 3 Editions 3 1 In Italian 3 2 In English 4 Film versions 5 ReferencesPlot editThe story takes place in the Langhe Milton is a young 20 year old university student who has joined the resistance movement in a blue unit those aligned with the monarchists following the armistice of September 1943 He is in love with Fulvia a beautiful girl from a well to do Torinese family who he met in Alba where she had been displaced After several months as a partisan Milton driven by desire and nostalgia returns to the villa where he and Fulvia used to spend their evenings Here he meets the housekeeper who knew him before and Milton asks to visit the places fond to him During the visit the elderly housekeeper mentions a relationship between Fulvia and Giorgio Milton s friend and a fellow partisan although in a red unit that is aligned with the communists Milton in shock chooses to find Giorgio and discover the truth about the relationship He sets off to locate Giorgio s unit but cannot find him Shortly afterwards news arrives that Giorgio has been captured by the fascists Milton decides to seek an enemy prisoner to be exchanged with Giorgio before he is executed He receives information that near the city where Giorgio is being kept an enemy non commissioned officer is in a relationship with a woman who lives nearby and learns the location of their meetings Milton manages to capture him but he tries to escape and Milton is forced to shoot him With all hope of freeing his friend now lost and with it the chance to find the truth about Fulvia s love Milton returns to the villa The fascists are there when he arrives he is surprised and flees Milton is chased and shot at probably injured and utterly spent he collapses on the ground in a nearby wood Main characters edit Milton the protagonist a young partisan somewhat gauche in love with Fulvia Fulvia Milton s love interest a young woman from Turin displaced in Alba Giorgio Clerici friend and possible love interest of Fulvia Leo commander of Milton s partisan brigade in TreisoReception editA Private Matter is credited with marking the first turn towards the personal in the novels of Resistance writers 3 As David Ward notes Fenoglio makes the suggestion that the Resistance struggle itself acts as a pretext for another struggle this one located at a deeper more personal and irrational level Before focussing on the ideological underpinnings of an individual s decision to join the military struggle attention needs to be paid to the personal demons that animate the consciousness and bear on the minds of the likes of Milton 4 Maria Grazia Di Paolo who completed the first English translation regards the novel as the major piece of Fenoglio s mature works 5 Editions editIn Italian edit Fenoglio Beppe 1963 Un giorno di fuoco Racconti moderni Garzanti ed Milano p VII 297 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a Unknown parameter agency ignored help CS1 maint location missing publisher link Fenoglio Beppe 1963 Una questione privata Opere di Beppe Fenoglio ed Milano p 177 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a Unknown parameter agency ignored help CS1 maint location missing publisher link Fenoglio Beppe 1978 Maria Antonietta Grignani ed Primavera di bellezza Frammenti di romanzo Una questione privata Vol I 3 Nuova universale Einaudi ed Torino Maria Antonietta Grignani pp 1260 2296 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a work ignored help Unknown parameter agency ignored help Fenoglio Beppe 1986 Una questione privata Nuovi coralli ed Torino p 155 ISBN 88 06 59535 0 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a Unknown parameter agency ignored help CS1 maint location missing publisher link In English edit Fenoglio Beppe 1988 A private matter Translated by Di Paolo Maria Grazia Peter Lang ISBN 978 0 8204 0591 9 OCLC 17106120 Fenoglio Beppe 2006 A private affair Translated by Curtis Howard Hesperus ISBN 978 1 84391 426 6 OCLC 67375293 Film versions editUna questione privata 1966 directed Giorgio Trentin Una questione privata 1991 directed by Alberto Negrin TV film Rainbow A Private Affair 2017 directed by Paolo and Vittorio TavianiReferences edit Deigan Frederica Brunori 2007 Beppe Fenoglio In Marrone Gaetana ed Encyclopedia of Italian Literary Studies A J Taylor amp Francis p 713 ISBN 978 1 57958 390 3 Corvino Nadia 23 April 2020 Romanzi e resistenza rileggere Una questione privata di Beppe Fenoglio Il Libraio in Italian Retrieved 28 April 2020 Healey Robin 1998 Twentieth century Italian Literature in English Translation An Annotated Bibliography 1929 1997 University of Toronto Press p 340 ISBN 978 0 8020 0800 8 Ward David 1996 Antifascisms Cultural Politics in Italy 1943 46 Benedetto Croce and the Liberals Carlo Levi and the actionists Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press p 123 ISBN 978 0 8386 3676 3 O Healy Aine 1990 Bricchi Mariarosa Saccone Eduardo Di Paolo Maria Grazia Pietralunga Mark eds Four Critics and Fenoglio Italica 67 1 42 52 doi 10 2307 479065 ISSN 0021 3020 JSTOR 479065 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title A Private Matter novel amp oldid 1221583374, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
