Cavolo! Sono già 8 giorni che non posto niente! Gli impegni di fine quadrimestre hanno rallentato il mio ritmo di lettura e così, mentre sto finendo Indigo, trovo finalmente un po’ di tempo da dedicare a questo post su Marina Warner.
La cosa che mi ha colpita maggiormente di questa scrittrice è l’interesse costante per la femminilità, assieme allo studio del mito e della fiaba. Oltre a scrivere romanzi, infatti, ha pubblicato i suoi studi sul mito: dapprima si è occupata del culto della Vergine Maria, poi ha tenuto una serie di letture per la BBC su “Sei miti del nostro tempo”, fino al recente libro dedicato all’analisi delle Mille e una notte. L’interesse per la femminilità si intreccia con queste ricerche, dalla Vergine Maria passa a studiare la figura di eroina di Giovanna d’Arco, l’imperatrice cinese Dowager Tz’u-hsi, la regina Vittoria e, più in generale, l’utilizzo nell’arte di immagini femminili come allegorie. Tutto questo background traspira chiaramente nei romanzi, dove le figure femminili oltre ad avere un ruolo chiave, tradiscono una complessa stratificazione di riferimenti e significati. In particolare, emerge potentemente l’idea di donne forti. Le figure, i miti, le allegorie studiate non possono che emergere nel momento della narrazione, come ne Il padre perduto, che risente molto dall’essere scritto poco dopo Allegory of the Female Form. Tra le varie opere, comunque, ho scelto di cominciare con Indigo non appena ho scoperto che si trattava di una rielaborazione della Tempesta di Shakespeare. E’ inutile aggiungere che adoro Shakespeare. Il mio interesse, in particolare, è rivolto proprio alle rielaborazioni, includendo sia quelle letterarie, che filmiche, musicali e artistiche. Il retaggio lasciato dal bardo ai posteri è monumentale e non riguarda solo i drammi maggiori (per i quali si può parlare di un vero e proprio mare di rielaborazioni).
Well, I’m already reading Indigo and I finally have some time to write a post on Marina Warner, the author. The thing that really struck me about her is her interest in femininity -as a theme- together with her studies on myth and fairy-tale. Besides writing novels she has also published books on myths: at first she dealt with the cult of the Virgin Mary, then she gave a series of lectures for BBC on “Six Myths of Our Time”, until her recent book devoted to the analysis of One thousands and One Nights.
Her interest on femininity grew with her researches, from Virgin Mary she went on studying Joan of Arc, the Chinese Empress Dowanger Tz’u-hsi, Queen Victoria and, more in general, the use of female allegories in art. This kind of background emerges clearly in her novels where the female characters besides having a key role also gain more complex meanings. The theme of strong women is clear. You can clearly perceive the myths, allegories and historical figures studied in her narrations, like in The Lost Father, which was written shortly after Allegory of the Female Form. I chose to start with Indigo as soon as I found out that it was a rewriting of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. It’s useless to say that I adore Shakesepeare. My interest precisely turns to the reworkings of different kinds: literary, filmic, musical and artistic. The legacy left by the bard to posterity is monumental and is not limited to his major works (for which we can talk about an ocean of reworkings).
Well, I’m already reading Indigo and I finally have some time to write a post on Marina Warner, the author. The thing that really struck me about her is her interest in femininity -as a theme- together with her studies on myth and fairy-tale. Besides writing novels she has also published books on myths: at first she dealt with the cult of the Virgin Mary, then she gave a series of lectures for BBC on “Six Myths of Our Time”, until her recent book devoted to the analysis of One thousands and One Nights.
Her interest on femininity grew with her researches, from Virgin Mary she went on studying Joan of Arc, the Chinese Empress Dowanger Tz’u-hsi, Queen Victoria and, more in general, the use of female allegories in art. This kind of background emerges clearly in her novels where the female characters besides having a key role also gain more complex meanings. The theme of strong women is clear. You can clearly perceive the myths, allegories and historical figures studied in her narrations, like in The Lost Father, which was written shortly after Allegory of the Female Form. I chose to start with Indigo as soon as I found out that it was a rewriting of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. It’s useless to say that I adore Shakesepeare. My interest precisely turns to the reworkings of different kinds: literary, filmic, musical and artistic. The legacy left by the bard to posterity is monumental and is not limited to his major works (for which we can talk about an ocean of reworkings).
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