Dino Buzzati-Traverso (; 14 October 1906 – 28 January 1972) was an Italian novelist, short story writer, painter and poet, as well as a journalist for ''

Corriere della Sera The ''Corriere della Sera'' (; en, "Evening Courier") is an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan with an average daily circulation of 410,242 copies in December 2015. First published on 5 March 1876, ''Corriere della Sera'' is one of I ...

''. His worldwide fame is mostly due to his novel ''

The Tartar Steppe ''The Tartar Steppe'' ( it, Il deserto dei Tartari, ), also published as ''The Stronghold'' (''La fortezza''), is a novel by Italian author Dino Buzzati, published in 1940. The novel tells the story of a young officer, Giovanni Drogo, and his li ...

'', although he is also known for his well-received collections of short stories.

Life

Buzzati was born at San Pellegrino,

Belluno Belluno (; lld, Belum; vec, Belùn) is a town and province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Located about north of Venice, Belluno is the capital of the province of Belluno and the most important city in the Eastern Dolomites region ...

, in his family's ancestral villa. Buzzati's mother, a veterinarian by profession, was

Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetian and the like may also refer to: * Venetian language, a Romance language s ...

and his father, a professor of

international law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...

, was from an old Bellunese family. Buzzati was the second of his parents' four children. One of his brothers was the well-known Italian geneticist

Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Adriano Buzzati-Traverso (6 April 1913, Milan, Italy – 22 April 1983) was an Italian geneticist. In 1962 he founded in Naples the '' Laboratorio Internazionale di Genetica e Biofisica'' (''International Laboratory of Genetics and Biophysics''). ...

. In 1924, he enrolled in the law faculty of the

University of Milan The University of Milan ( it, Università degli Studi di Milano; la, Universitas Studiorum Mediolanensis), known colloquially as UniMi or Statale, is a public research university in Milan, Italy. It is one of the largest universities in Europe ...

, where his father once taught. As he was completing his studies in law, he was hired, at the age of 22, by the Milanese newspaper ''Corriere della Sera'', where he would remain until his death. He began in the corrections department, and later worked as a reporter, special correspondent, essayist, editor and art critic. It is often said that his journalistic background informs his writing, lending even the most fantastic tales an aura of realism. Buzzati himself comments on the connection (as cited by Lawrence Venuti): During World War II, Buzzati served in Africa, as a journalist attached to the

Regia Marina The ''Regia Marina'' (; ) was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy (''Regno d'Italia'') from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the ''Regia Marina'' changed its name to ''Marina Militare'' ("M ...

. After the end of the war, ''Il deserto dei Tartari'' was published nationwide in Italy and quickly brought critical recognition and fame to the author. He married Almerina Antoniazzi in 1966, which also marked release of his last novel, ''Un amore''. In 1972, Buzzati died of cancer after a protracted illness. He was an atheist.

Works summary

Buzzati began writing fiction in 1933. His works of fiction include five novels, theatre and radio plays,

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major li ...

s, numerous books of short stories and poetry. His librettos include four for operas by

Luciano Chailly Luciano Chailly (Ferrara, 19 January 1920 – Milan, 24 December 2002) was an Italian composer and arts administrator of French descent. He was an eclectic and prolific composer in the post-war Italy, combining tonal, polytonal, and twelve-ton ...

, as well as that of the opera ''La giacca dannata'' by

Giulio Viozzi Giulio Viozzi (born Trieste, 5 July 1912 – died Verona, 29 November 1984) was an Italian composer, conductor, pianist, and music critic. He was a pupil of , and took his diploma in piano playing in 1931. Among his compositions are numerous ope ...

. He wrote a children's book ''La famosa invasione degli orsi in Sicilia'' (translated by

Frances Lobb Leila Charlotte Evelyn Petronella Buckley (16 January 1917 – 25 January 2013), née Porter, known by her pen name Frances Lobb, was an English poet, novelist and translator. She was the daughter of Lt.-Col. Adrian Sydney Morton Porter OStJ, a K ...

into English as ''

The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily ''The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily'' () is a 1945 Italian children's book written and illustrated by Dino Buzzati. It tells the story of an armed conflict between the bears and humans of Sicily. It is written in novel format, with a great dea ...

'').

Lemony Snicket Lemony Snicket is the pen name of American author Daniel Handler (born February 28, 1970). Handler has published several children's books under the name, most notably ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'', which has sold over 60 million copies and s ...

wrote an introduction and reader's companion to a 2005 English edition. Also an acclaimed and exhibited artist, Buzzati combined his artistic and writerly exploits into making a

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

based on the myth of

Orpheus Orpheus (; Ancient Greek: Ὀρφεύς, classical pronunciation: ; french: Orphée) is a Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet in ancient Greek religion. He was also a renowned poet and, according to the legend, travelled with J ...

, '' Poem Strip''. ''

'', his most famous novel, tells the story of a military outpost that awaits a

Tartar Tartar may refer to: Places * Tartar (river), a river in Azerbaijan * Tartar, Switzerland, a village in the Grisons * Tərtər, capital of Tartar District, Azerbaijan * Tartar District, Azerbaijan * Tartar Island, South Shetland Islands, A ...

invasion. In its sentiment and its conclusions, it has been compared to

existentialist Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value ...

works, notably

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...

's ''

The Myth of Sisyphus ''The Myth of Sisyphus'' (french: link=no, Le mythe de Sisyphe) is a 1942 philosophical essay by Albert Camus. Influenced by philosophers such as Søren Kierkegaard, Arthur Schopenhauer, and Friedrich Nietzsche, Camus introduces his philosophy ...

''. His writing is sometimes cited as

magical realism Magical is the adjective for magic. It may also refer to: * Magical (horse) (foaled 2015), Irish Thoroughbred racehorse * "Magical" (song), released in 1985 by John Parr * '' Magical: Disney's New Nighttime Spectacular of Magical Celebrations'', ...

social alienation Social alienation is a person's feeling of disconnection from a group whether friends, family, or wider society to which the individual has an affinity. Such alienation has been described as "a condition in social relationships reflected by (1) ...

, and the fate of the environment and of fantasy in the face of unbridled technological progress are recurring themes. He wrote also a variety of short stories featuring fantastic animals such as the

bogeyman The Bogeyman (; also spelled boogeyman, bogyman, bogieman, boogie monster, boogieman, or boogie woogie) is a type of mythic creature used by adults to frighten children into good behavior. Bogeymen have no specific appearance and conceptions var ...

and, his own invention, the colomber (''il colombre''). His Sessanta racconti short-story collection, which won the Strega Prize in 1958, features elements of

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

and horror throughout.

Bibliography

* '' Bàrnabo delle montagne'' (1933). ''Barnabo of the Mountains'', trans. Lawrence Venuti, included in ''The Siren'' (1984) * ''

Il segreto del Bosco Vecchio ''Il segreto del Bosco Vecchio'' ("the secret of the Old Woods") is a 1935 novel by the Italian writer Dino Buzzati. It tells the story of a general who is about to cut down an old forest for the sake of financial gain, but discovers that the fores ...

'' (1935). ''The Secret of the Old Woods'' * ''Il deserto dei Tartari'' (1940). ''

'', trans. Stuart C. Hood (Secker & Warburg, 1952); also as ''The Stronghold'', trans. Lawrence Venuti (New York Review Books, 2023) * ''I sette messaggeri'' (1942, short stories''). The Seven Messengers'' * ''La famosa invasione degli orsi in Sicilia'' (1945). ''

'', trans.

(Pantheon, 1947) * ''In quel preciso momento'' (1950) * ''Il crollo della Baliverna'' (1954) * '' Sessanta racconti'' (1958, short stories). ''Sixty Stories'' * ''Il grande ritratto'' (1960). '' Larger than Life'', trans. Henry Reed (Secker & Warburg, 1962) * ''Un amore'' (1963). '' A Love Affair'', trans. Joseph Green (Farrar Straus, 1964) * ''Il capitano Pic e altre poesie'' (1965, poetry) * ''Cacciatori di vecchio'' (1966, novel) * '' Il colombre'' (1966, short stories) * ''Poema a fumetti'' (1969, comic book). '' Poem Strip'', trans. Marina Harss (New York Review Books, 2009) * ''Il reggimento parte all'alba'' (1985, short stories). ''The Regiment Leaves at Dawn'' Compilations in English * ''Catastrophe and Other Stories'', trans. Judith Landry and Cynthia Jolly (Calder, 1965) * ''Restless Nights: Selected Stories of Dino Buzzati'', trans. Lawrence Venuti (North Point Press, 1983) * ''The Siren: A Selection from Dino Buzzati'', trans. Lawrence Venuti (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1984)

Awards and honors

* 1951: Gargano Prize, for ''In quel preciso momento'' * 1954: Naples Prize, for ''Il crollo della Baliverna'' * 1958:

Strega Prize The Strega Prize ( it, Premio Strega ) is the most prestigious Italian literary award. It has been awarded annually since 1947 for the best work of prose fiction written in the Italian language by an author of any nationality and first published ...

, for ''Sessanta racconti'' * 1969: Paese Sera Prize, for ''Poema a fumetti'' * 1970: All’Amalia Prize * 1970: Mario Massai Prize

References

* Giuseppe Leone, "Dino Buzzati e le grandi "costruzioni" letterarie – La "fortezza di Bastiani" non è "Il castello" di Kafka", Il Punto Stampa,

Lecco Lecco (, , ; lmo, label= Lecchese, Lècch ) is a city of 48,131 inhabitants in Lombardy, northern Italy, north of Milan. It lies at the end of the south-eastern branch of Lake Como (the branch is named ''Branch of Lecco'' / ''Ramo di Lecco''). ...

, Italy, April 1997. * Luis Montiel (2010), “Una meditatio mortis contemporánea. La reflexión de Dino Buzzati sobre la caducidad de la vida humana”. Medicina e historia, 2/2010, 1–15.

External links

* * *
Il coraggio della bontà – Dino Buzzati e don Zeno Saltini: cronaca di un'amicizia

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buzzati, Dino Dino Buzzati 1906 births 1972 deaths People from Belluno Italian atheists Italian comics artists Italian comics writers Italian male short story writers Italian sports journalists Italian male journalists Italian children's writers Strega Prize winners Deaths from pancreatic cancer Italian opera librettists Deaths from cancer in Lombardy Writers who illustrated their own writing 20th-century Italian novelists 20th-century Italian male writers 20th-century Italian dramatists and playwrights Italian male novelists Italian male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Italian short story writers Magic realism writers