Aron Hector Schmitz (19 December 186113 September 1928), better known by the pseudonym Italo Svevo (), was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

writer, businessman,

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others asp ...

, playwright, and

short story writer A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

. A close friend of Irish novelist and poet

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

, Svevo was considered a pioneer of the

psychological novel In literature, psychological fiction (also psychological realism) is a narrative genre that emphasizes interior characterization and motivation to explore the spiritual, emotional, and mental lives of the characters. The mode of narration exami ...

in Italy and is best known for his classic

modernist Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...

novel '' La coscienza di Zeno'' (1923), a work that had a profound effect on the movement. He was also the cousin of the Italian academic Steno Tedeschi.

Early life

Born in

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into prov ...

(then in the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence ...

, after 1867

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

) as Aron Ettore Schmitz to a Jewish German father and an

mother, Svevo was one of seven children - and grew up enjoying a passion for literature from a young age, reading

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...

, Schiller,

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

, and the classics of French and Russian literature. Svevo was a citizen of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the end of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He spoke Italian as a second language (as he usually spoke the

Triestine dialect The Triestine dialect ( it, triestino, Triestine: ) is a dialect of Venetian spoken in the city of Trieste. Many words in Triestine are taken from other languages. As Trieste borders with Slovenia and was under the Habsburg monarchy for almost s ...

). Due to his germanophone ancestry by his father, he and his brothers were sent to a boarding school near

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg ...

, Germany, where he learnt fluent German. After returning to Trieste in 1880, Svevo continued his studies for a further two years at Istituto Revoltella - before being forced to take financial responsibility, when his father filed for bankruptcy, after his once successful glassware business failed. This 20-year period as a bank clerk at Unionbank of Vienna served as inspiration for his first novel ''

Una vita ''Una vita'' is the first novel of Italo Svevo, the author of the seminal modernist novel, '' Zeno's Conscience''. Originally titled ''Un inetto'' – ''inetto'' may be translated as 'inept,' unfit', 'unsuitable' or 'incapable' – this name was r ...

'' (1892). During his time at the bank, Svevo contributed to Italian-language socialist publication '' L'Indipendente'' ( it), and began writing plays (which he rarely finished) before beginning work on ''Una vita'' in 1887. Svevo adhered to a humanistic and democratic socialism, which predisposed him to

pacifism Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...

, and to advocate a European economic union after the war. Following the death of his parents, Svevo married his cousin Livia Veneziani in a civil ceremony in 1896. Soon after, Livia convinced him to convert to Catholicism, and take part in a religious wedding (probably after a troublesome pregnancy). Personally, however, Svevo was an atheist. He became a partner in his wealthy father-in-law's paint business - that specialized in manufacturing industrial paint, that was used on naval warships. He became successful in growing the business, and after trips to France and Germany set up a branch of the company in England. Svevo lived for part of his life in Charlton, south-east London, while working for a family firm. He documented this period in his letters to his wife, which highlighted the cultural differences he encountered in Edwardian England. His old home at 67 Charlton Church Lane now carries a blue plaque.

Writing career

Svevo first started writing short stories in 1880. He took on the pseudonym "Italo Svevo" (literally "Italus the Swabian") for the publication of his first novel, ''

Una Vita ''Una vita'' is the first novel of Italo Svevo, the author of the seminal modernist novel, '' Zeno's Conscience''. Originally titled ''Un inetto'' – ''inetto'' may be translated as 'inept,' unfit', 'unsuitable' or 'incapable' – this name was r ...

'', in 1892. The novel was not a success. His second novel, ''Senilità'' (1898), was also received poorly. In 1919 he began work on ''La Coscienza di Zeno'' (known in English as ''Zeno's Conscience'' or ''Confessions of Zeno'').

''Zeno's Conscience''

In 1923 Italo Svevo published the psychological novel '' La Coscienza di Zeno''. The work, showing the author's interest in the theories of

Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts ...

, is written in the form of the memoirs of Zeno Cosini, who writes them at the insistence of his psychoanalyst. Svevo's novel received almost no attention from Italian readers and critics at the time. ItaloSvevo statue 10

The work might have disappeared altogether, if it were not for the efforts of

. Joyce had met Svevo in 1907, when Joyce tutored him in English, while working for Berlitz in

. Joyce read Svevo's earlier novels, ''

'' and '' Senilità''. Joyce championed ''Zeno's Conscience'', helping to have it translated into French and then published in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, where critics praised it extravagantly. That led Italian critics, including

Eugenio Montale Eugenio Montale (; 12 October 1896 – 12 September 1981) was an Italian poet, prose writer, editor and translator, and recipient of the 1975 Nobel Prize in Literature. Life and works Early years Montale was born in Genoa. His family were che ...

, to discover it. Zeno Cosini, the book's hero and

unreliable narrator An unreliable narrator is a narrator whose credibility is compromised. They can be found in fiction and film, and range from children to mature characters. The term was coined in 1961 by Wayne C. Booth in ''The Rhetoric of Fiction''. While unr ...

, mirrored Svevo himself, being a businessman fascinated by Freudian theory. Svevo was also a model for

Leopold Bloom Leopold Bloom is the fictional protagonist and hero of James Joyce's 1922 novel '' Ulysses''. His peregrinations and encounters in Dublin on 16 June 1904 mirror, on a more mundane and intimate scale, those of Ulysses/ Odysseus in Homer's epic ...

, the protagonist of Joyce's seminal novel '' Ulysses''. ''Zeno's Conscience'' never looks outside the narrow confines of Trieste, much like Joyce's work, which rarely left Dublin in the last years of Ireland's time as part of the United Kingdom. Svevo employed often sardonic wit in his observations of Trieste and, in particular, of his hero, an indifferent man, who cheats on his wife, lies to his psychoanalyst, and is trying to explain himself to his psychoanalyst, by revisiting his memories. Ettore Schmitz alias Italo Svevo 1861-1928 Writer lived here 1903-1913

Ettore Schmitz alias Italo Svevo 1861-1928 Writer lived here 1903-1913

There is a final connection between Svevo and the character Cosini. Cosini sought

psychoanalysis PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: + . is a set of theories and therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a body of knowledge. In what might b ...

, he said, in order to discover why he was addicted to

nicotine Nicotine is a natural product, naturally produced alkaloid in the nightshade family of plants (most predominantly in tobacco and ''Duboisia hopwoodii'') and is widely used recreational drug use, recreationally as a stimulant and anxiolytic. As ...

. As Svevo reveals in his memoirs, each time he had given up smoking, with the iron resolve that this would be the "''ultima sigaretta!!''", he experienced the exhilarating feeling that he was now beginning life over without the burden of his old habits and mistakes. That feeling was, however, so strong that he found smoking irresistible, if only so that he could stop smoking again, in order to experience that thrill once more.

Death

After being involved in a serious car accident, he was brought into hospital at

Motta di Livenza Motta di Livenza (or di Ligenda/ Ligondo·la/ Livanda·la, later Ligondza, then Livenza) is a town in the province of Treviso, Veneto, Italy. Twin towns Motta di Livenza is twinned with: * L'Isle-Jourdain, Gers, France * Cres Cres (; ...

, where his health rapidly failed. As death approached, he asked one of his visitors for a cigarette. It was refused. Svevo replied: "That would have been my last." He died that afternoon.

Legacy

La Trieste de Magris al CCCB (33) - Italo Svevo- Senilità

Svevo, along with

Luigi Pirandello Luigi Pirandello (; 28 June 1867 – 10 December 1936) was an Italian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short story writer whose greatest contributions were his plays. He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature for "his almost magical power ...

, is considered a prominent figure of early 20th century

Italian literature Italian literature is written in the Italian language, particularly within Italy. It may also refer to literature written by Italians or in other languages spoken in Italy, often languages that are closely related to modern Italian, including ...

, and has had an important influence on later generations of the country's writers. Though only recognised for his literary achievements towards the end of his life, Svevo is celebrated as one of Italy's finest writers, particularly in his home city of

, and has a statue in front of the Museum of Natural History erected in his honour. The following are named after him: * Istituto Comprensivo Italo Svevo in Trieste, Italy * Liceo Italo Svevo in Cologne, Germany

Selected works

Novels *''

'' (1892). ''A Life'', trans. Archibald Colquhoun (1963). * '' Senilità'' (1898). ''As a Man Grows Older'', trans. Beryl de Zoete (1932); later as ''Emilio's Carnival'', trans. Beth Archer Brombert (2001). * '' La Coscienza di Zeno'' (1923). ''Confessions of Zeno'', trans. Beryl de Zoete (1930); later as ''Zeno's Conscience'', trans.

William Weaver William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

(2003). Novellas *''La novella del buon vecchio e della bella fanciulla'' (1926). ''The Nice Old Man and the Pretty Girl.'' *''Una burla riuscita'' (1926). ''A Perfect Hoax'', trans. J. G. Nichols (2003). Short story collections * ''La novella del buon vecchio e della bella fanciulla, e altre prose inedite e postume'' (1929, posthumous). ''The Nice Old Man and the Pretty Girl and Other Stories'', trans. L. Collison-Morley (1930). *''Corto viaggio sentimentale e altri racconti inediti'' (1949, posthumous). ''Short Sentimental Journey and Other Stories'', trans. Beryl de Zoete, L. Collison-Morley and Ben Johnson (1967). Other * ''Saggi e pagine sparse'' (1954, posthumous). ''Essays and Scattered Pages''. * ''Commedie'' (1960, posthumous). Dramatic works. * ''Lettere'' (1966, posthumous). Correspondence with

. *''Further Confessions of Zeno'' (1969, posthumous). Trans. Ben Johnson and P. N. Furbank. Fragments of a sequel to ''La coscienza di Zeno''. Includes: "The Old Old Man", "An Old Man's Confessions", "Umbertino", "A Contract", "This Indolence of Mine", and ''Regeneration: A Comedy in Three Acts''. *''A Very Old Man: Stories'' (2022, posthumous). Trans. Frederika Randall. Includes: "The Contract", "The Confessions of a Very Old Man", "Umbertino", "My Leisure", and "Foreword".

References

Sources

* Italo Svevo, '' Zeno's Conscience''. Trans. William Weaver. New York: Vintage International, 2001. * Fabio Vittorini, ''Italo Svevo'', Milano, Mondadori, 2011 *Piero Garofalo, "Time-Consciousness in Italo Svevo's ''La coscienza di Zeno,''" in ''Quaderni d'italianistica'', XVIII.2 (Fall 1997): pp. 221–233. * Livia Veneziani Svevo, ''Memoir of Italo Svevo'', Preface by P. N. Furbank, Trans. by

Isabel Quigly Isabel Madeleine Quigly FRSL (17 September 1926 – 14 September 2018) was a writer, translator and film critic. Biography She was born in Ontaneda, Spain, and educated at Godolphin School, Salisbury and Newnham College, Cambridge. In her ea ...

. London: Libris, 1991. * Gatt-Rutter, J., ''Italo Svevo: A Double Life'' (1988) * Moloney, Brian, ''Italo Svevo: A Critical Introduction'' (1974) * Furbank, Philip N., ''Italo Svevo: The Man and the Writer'' (1966) * Gatt-Rutter, J & Mulroney, B, This England is so different' – Italo Svevo's London Writings.'' Troubador

External links

* *
Works by Svevo
text with concordances and frequency list
Images referred to Italo Svevo on Immaginidistoria.it

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