Such an effort would have struck intellectuals at the time as all but impossible because, in Italy as elsewhere, Joyce and Proust were understood to have marked a watershed moment in the history of representation, from which there was no going back. His need for work, his stolen bicycle, his Italian Neorealism impoverished family, must be understood on their own terms, as a personal tragedy on an intimate scale. In keeping with such a vision, advocates of renewal invited intellectuals to rethink the role of culture, and to do so by engaging with the culture of the past. All the actors have been chosen from among the inhabitants of this town: fishermen, girls, labourers, bricklayers, wholesalers. Dear Books Product Team, I am delighted to be able to reach out to you in this manner!
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