Benni's Tristalia

Abstract

Although Stefano Benni (1947, Bologna) represents without doubt one of the best contemporary writers, hardly any research has been undertaken on his narrative that can not be seen as separate from all the other facets of his work which show the same commitment towards society. Indeed, through his protagonists, rebellious and non-conformistic teenagers, Benni never stops criticising today's wheeling and dealing, the consumer society and the socio-political herd instinct enhanced by the mass media. By doing so, Benni demystifies reality without proposing an alternative (world). The analysis will determine the exact role of the writer-intellectual Benni, probably situated between utopia and dystopia.