Luigi PirandelloAwards:
Nobel Prize in Literature-1934Nobel Committee
in its citation stated that the prize was given for
"his bold and ingenious revival of
dramatic and scenic art."
Born: 28/06/1867 in Agrigento, Sicily
Died: 10/12/1936 in Rome, Italy
Citizen: Italy
Language: Italian, Sicilian
Pirandello was born in an affluent family i
Agrigento, a town in Southern Italy. His father had business in
Sulphur mining and trading. From early age, Pirandello was fascinated
by fables and magic and at the age of twelve, had his first play
written. In 1880, the family moved to Palermo where he had his
schooling. The young man was a voracious reader and particularly liked
to read 19th Century Italian poets. He also used to visit the sulphur
mines and his experience there was reflected in his works, The Old
and the Young. In 1887, he moved to Rome. Rome provided him
opportunity to visit several theatres and have a look at the plays
unfolding with excitement.
In 1893, he produced his first
important work, Marta Ajala, which was published in
1901. 1903 was a crucial year for Pirandello. The sulphur mines in
which his father had invested very heavily got flooded and the loss
was massive. His mother was so shocked by the disaster that she became
a mental wreck and never recovered. Pirandello wanted to commit
suicide but diverted his mind by concentrating on learning German
language and refining his Italian language expertise.
1920 was the year when Pirandello
produced a series of comedies. In 1921, Six Characters in Search of an
Author was staged and it was a failure. The public split up into
supporters and adversaries, the latter of whom shouted, "Asylum,
Asylum!" The author, who was present at the representation with his
daughter Lietta, was forced to almost literally run out of the theatre
through a side exit in order to avoid the crowd of enemies. The play
was however a success in Milan. Then in 1922, Enrico IV was staged and
it was a great success and Pirandello's fame spread beyond Italy.
Pirandello was nominated Academic of Italy in 1929 .
Notable Works:
L'esclusa
-- The Outcast(1893),I
vecchi e i giovani --The
Old and the Young (1906-1908),
Si gira!-
Shoot
(1915) ,Il
fu Mattia Pascal -- The Late
Mattia Pascal(1904),
L'Uomo, La Bestia e La Virtù --
The Man,The Beast and The Virtue(1919),
Il Gioco delle Parti --
The Rules of the Game (1919),
Sei Personaggi in Cerca d'Autore -
Six Characters in Search of an Author
(1921),
Enrico
IV-
Henry IV
(1922)
Order Luigi Pirandello's Books below
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