Un viaggio straordinario: Capuana E La Narrativa Giovanile Post-Unitaria

Abstract

This essay analyses Luigi Capuana’s Quattro viaggi straordinari (Four Extraordinary Journeys) written in 1901 for the Bibliotechina Aurea series, published by Biondo Editore in Palermo. The four short stories, aimed at young readers between 10 and 13 years of age, have never attracted much critical attention, and yet they deserve an in-depth analysis for both their insightfulness and stylistic originality. These tales help us understand Capuana’s constant evolution as a writer, beyond the dictates of the Verismo literary style. They also challenge us in unexpected ways by offering evidence of Capuana’s ability to explore the most cogent and controversial scientific topics, which informed the Italian cultural scene at the end of the nineteenth century.

Keywords: Capuana, Verismo, pedagogical literature, science fiction, risorgimento, experimentalism.