Giovanni Comisso (3 October 1895 – 21 January 1969) was an important Italian writer of the twentieth century, appreciated by

Eugenio Montale Eugenio Montale (; 12 October 1896 – 12 September 1981) was an Italian poet, prose writer, editor and translator. In 1975, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for 'for his distinctive poetry which, with great artistic sensitivity, has ...

Umberto Saba Umberto Saba (9 March 1883 – 25 August 1957) was an Italian poet and novelist, born Umberto Poli in the cosmopolitan Mediterranean port of Trieste when it was the fourth largest city of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Poli assumed the pen name "S ...

, Gianfranco Contini and many others.

Life

Comisso was born in

Treviso Treviso ( ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 87.322 inhabitants (as of December 2024). Some 3,000 live within the Venetian wall ...

, where, during his adolescence, he met and got to know the sculptor

Arturo Martini Arturo Martini (1889–1947) was a leading Italian sculptor between World War I and II. He moved between a very vigorous (almost ancient Roman) classicism and modernism. He was associated with public sculpture in fascist Italy, but later renoun ...

who introduced him to the writings of

Arthur Rimbaud Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (, ; ; 20 October 1854 – 10 November 1891) was a French poet known for his transgressive and surreal themes and for his influence on modern literature and arts, prefiguring surrealism. Born in Charleville, he s ...

and

Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher. He began his career as a classical philology, classical philologist, turning to philosophy early in his academic career. In 1869, aged 24, Nietzsche bec ...

. In 1915, he enlisted in the Telegraph Corps of Engineers and participated in the Great War. Together with Gabriele d’Annunzio, he took part in the Fiume enterprise (1919–1920), an experience that would be fundamental to his development as a writer. The following years were years of travel, both along the Adriatic aboard a sailing ship with the sailors of Chioggia, and in Europe and North Africa on behalf of a number of important newspapers. He lived for long periods in Paris, between 1927 and 1928, with his friend the painter Filippo De Pisis.Comisso, Il mio sodalizio con Filippo De Pisis, Vincenza, Neri Pozza, 1993 The following year, in 1929, as a special correspondent for the "

Corriere della Sera (; ) is an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan with an average circulation of 246,278 copies in May 2023. First published on 5 March 1876, is one of Italy's oldest newspapers and is Italy's most read newspaper. Its masthead has remain ...

", he completed the Grand Tour in the Far East visiting China, Japan and Russia from Siberia to Moscow. After much wandering he wanted to take root in the Veneto countryside and with the proceeds of the articles, on his return, he bought a house and fields in Zero Branco, a town in the Treviso area, while continuing to travel along Italy as a special correspondent for several newspapers. Here he experienced intense periods of writing and friendship and later learned of the bombing of Treviso, where the family home was destroyed. He closed the house in Zero Branco to return to live in Treviso only in 1954 after his mother's death. In his later years, he continued to write and publish short stories and novels, in which there are detailed descriptions of despair, disappointments, anxieties and dislikes together with many ironic and bitter descriptions of man’s failings. "Our life today is reduced to these extremes from which serenity, beauty and harmony are excluded.” He died in a hospital on 21 January 1969.

Works

Novels and Short Stories

*''Il porto dell'amore'', Antonio Vianello, Treviso, 1924; rpt. as ''Al vento dell'Adriatico'', Ribet, Torino 1928; Ed. di Treviso, Treviso 1953;

Longanesi Longanesi, also known as Longanesi & C., is a publishing house based in Milan, Italy. It was founded in 1946 by Leo Longanesi and industrialist Giovanni Monti.Nanni Delbecchi (13 May 2016). "Longanesi fa settanta. Il 'Dottor Naso' aveva fiuto". ' ...

, Milano 1959 (rpt. again as ''Il porto dell'amore'');

Oscar Mondadori Arnoldo Mondadori Editore () is the biggest publishing company in Italy. History The company was founded in 1907 in Ostiglia by 18-year-old Arnoldo Mondadori who began his publishing career with the publication of the magazine ''Luce!''. In 19 ...

, 1983 (with an Introduction by Carlo della Corte); Longanesi, Milano 2011 (with a foreword by Nico Naldini) *''Gente di mare'',

Treves Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone i ...

, Milano 1928 ( Premio Bagutta); Ed. di Treviso, Treviso 1953; Longanesi, Milano 1966 (''Opere'', 9); Neri Pozza, Vicenza 1994 (with a foreword by Naldini) *''Giorni di guerra'',

Mondadori Arnoldo Mondadori Editore () is the biggest publishing company in Italy. History The company was founded in 1907 in Ostiglia by 18-year-old Arnoldo Mondadori who began his publishing career with the publication of the magazine ''Luce!''. In 19 ...

, 1930; Longanesi, Milano 1960 (''Opere'', 1);

, 1980 (with an Introduction by Mario Isnenghi) *''Il delitto di Fausto Diamante'', Ceschina, Milano 1933; Sodalizio del libro, Venezia 1958; Longanesi, Milano 1963 (with ''Storia di un patrimonio'' in ''Opere'', 4); Neri Pozza, Vicenza 1995 *''Storia di un patrimonio'', Treves, Milano 1933; Mondadori, Milano 1956; Longanesi, Milano 1963 (''Opere'', 4); Neri Pozza, Vicenza 1995 (with ''Il delitto di Fausto Diamante'') *''Avventure terrene'', Vallecchi, Firenze 1935 * ''I due compagni'', Mondadori, Milano 1936; Longanesi, Milano 1973 (''Opere'', 13) *''L'italiano errante per l'Italia'', Parenti, Firenze 1937 *''Felicità dopo la noia'', Mondadori, Milano 1940 *''Un inganno d'amore'', Mondadori, Milano 1942 (including ''La ricchezza di Mario''); rpt. as ''Un inganno d'amore e alcuni racconti'', 1953 *''La favorita'', Mondadori, Milano 1945; Longanesi, Milano 1965 (''Opere'', 7) *''I sentimenti nell'arte'', Il tridente, Venezia 1945 *''La terra e i contadini e altri racconti'', with illustrations by Filippo de Pisis, Vallecchi, Firenze 1946; Galleria Pegaso, Forte dei Marmi 1993 *''Capriccio e illusione'', Mondadori, Milano 1947 *''Amori d'oriente'',

, Milano 1949; 1965 (''Opere'', 6); Fabbri, Milano 2006 (with a presentation by Mario Monti) *''Gioventù che muore'', Milano-Sera, Milano 1949; Roma, Gherardo Casini, 1965; Longanesi, Milano 1971 *''Viaggi felici'', Garzanti, Milano 1949; Longanesi, Milano 1966 (''Opere'', 8) *''Le mie stagioni'', Garzanti, Milano 1951; Longanesi, Milano 1963 (''Opere'', 3); ivi 1985 (with ''Viaggi felici'' e ''Donne gentili'') (autobiographical) *''Un gatto attraversa la strada'', Mondadori, Milano 1954 ( Premio Strega); Club degli editori, Milano 1969 (with a foreword by Guido Piovene); Utet, Torino 2006 *''La mia casa di campagna'', Longanesi, Milano 1958; 1968 (''Opere'', 10); 2008 (with an Introduction by Paolo Mauri) *''Satire italiane'', Longanesi, Milano 1960 (''Opere'', 2); 2008 (with an Introduction by Ernesto Ferrero) *''La donna del lago'', Longanesi, Milano 1962; 1968 (''Opere'', 12); Guanda, Parma 1993 (including ''Cribol'') *''Cribol'', Longanesi, Milano 1964; 1968 (including ''La donna del lago'' in ''Opere'', 12); Guanda, Parma 1993 (with ''La donna del lago'') *''Il grande ozio'', Longanesi, Milano 1964 (''Opere'', 5); Libri Scheiwiller, Milano 1987 (Ed. Nico Naldini) *''Pesca notturna e altre pagine'', Eds. Silvio Guarnieri and Marino Buffoni, Mursia, Milano 1964 *''Gioco d'infanzia'', Longanesi, Milano 1965 (with ''Amori d'oriente'', in ''Opere'', 6); Guanda, Parma 1994 (with an Appendix ed. by Nico Naldini) *''Busta chiusa'', presentation by Ruggero Jacobbi, Nuova Accademia, Milano 1965 *''Attraverso il tempo'', Longanesi, Milano 1968 (''Opere'', 11) *''Diario 1951–1964'', with a memory by

Goffredo Parise Goffredo Parise (8 December 1929 in Vicenza – 31 August 1986 in Treviso) was an Italian writer, journalist, and screenwriter. He won the Viareggio Prize in 1965 for his novel ''Il padrone'' ''(The Boss)'' and the Strega Prize in 1982 for ''S ...

, Longanesi, Milano 1969 (postumo) *''Il sereno dopo la nebbia'', Eds. Silvio Guarnieri and Giancarlo Bertoncini, Longanesi, Milano 1974 (''Opere'', 14) (postumo) *''Storie di una vita. Trent'anni al Gazzettino'', Ed. Alberto Frasson, Edizioni del Gazzettino, Mestre 1982 *''Caro Toni'', Ed. Gian Antonio Cibotto, Longanesi, Milano 1983 *''Veneto felice. Itinerari e racconti'', Ed. Nico Naldini, Longanesi, Milano 1984; n. ed. 2005 *''Al sud'', Ed. Nico Naldini, foreword by

Raffaele La Capria Raffaele La Capria (3 October 1922 – 26 June 2022) was an Italian novelist and screenwriter. His second novel, '' Ferito a morte'' (''Mortal Wound)'', won Italy's most prestigious literary award, the Strega Prize, and is today considered a c ...

, Neri Pozza, Vicenza 1995 *''Una donna al giorno'', presentation by Gian Antonio Cibotto, Neri Pozza, Vicenza 1996 *''Opere'', Eds. Rolando Damiani and Nico Naldini, I Meridiani Mondadori, Milano 2002 (including: ''Il porto dell'amore – Gente di mare – Giorni di guerra – Storia di un patrimonio – Un inganno d'amore – Gioco d'infanzia – Racconti – Amori d'Oriente – Le mie stagioni – La mia casa di campagna – La virtù leggendaria'')

Poems

*''Poesie'', Longo e Zoppelli, Treviso 1916; Canova, Treviso 1995 (rpt. Ed. Emilio Lippi) *''Bassa marea'', Libreria Editrice Canova, Treviso 1946

References

External links

Giuseppe Comisso on Italialibri
{{DEFAULTSORT:Comisso, Giovanni Italian male writers Strega Prize winners Italian LGBTQ writers 1895 births 1969 deaths Italian military personnel of World War I 20th-century Italian LGBTQ people