[
The Land of Cockayne] is generally considered to be Matilde Serao’s most significant novel. It is closely linked to, and develops many of the characters and ideas from, her series of articles on Naples in the immediate aftermath of the cholera epidemic of 1884 collected in the volume
Il ventre di Napoli[The Belly of Naples]. Generally considered something of a masterpiece in Italian realism (Henry James certainly viewed it as such), it sets out to offer a panorama of Neapolitan society through the filtering lens of the lotto: gambling is the dominant feature in the lives of many of the characters it portrays (if not directly, then indirectly, as is the case for most of the women). The focus of Serao’s investigation are typically her women: she uses them as…
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Citation: Fanning, Ursula. "Il paese di Cuccagna". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 27 July 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=28445, accessed 21 November 2024.]
