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The European Novella (Level 5)

Overview

  • Credit value: 30 credits at Level 5
  • Convenor: Dr Peter Damrau
  • Assessment: a 2000-word essay (50%) and two-hour in-class test (50%)

Module description

In this module we explore one of the most influential genres in European literature: the novella. We will trace the evolving significance of the form through a selection of texts that demonstrate how tightly structured narratives and focused thematic development can convey powerful ethical concerns. Drawing on a range of theoretical and methodological approaches, you will engage with works by some of Europe’s most prominent writers, examining how the novella reflects and responds to the political and cultural contexts of different periods and regions.

Indicative syllabus

  • Adalbert Stifter, Brigitta, 1847
  • Theodor Storm, The Rider on the White Horse, 1888 (also translated as The Dykemaster)
  • Thomas Mann, Mario and the Magician, 1930
  • Stefan Zweig, Chess, 1942
  • Abbé Prévost, The Greek Girl’s Story, 1740
  • Prosper Mérimée, The Venus of Ille, 1837
  • Simone de Beauvoir, Monologue, 1967
  • Natalia Ginzburg The Dry Heart, 1947
  • Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities, 1972

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

  • demonstrate advanced knowledge of the historical development of the novella across French-, German-, and Italian-speaking contexts
  • critically evaluate key themes in the novella across these literary traditions
  • compare and analyse formal and narrative developments in the novella across different cultural contexts
  • examine the relationship between thematic concerns and the evolution of the novella within a specific linguistic and cultural context
  • apply advanced textual analysis skills to the close reading of novellas
  • critically engage with major theoretical approaches relevant to the study of the novella.