Cambridge Readings in Italian Literature. Edited by Edward Bullough. (Cambridge
University Press. 8s. net. )—Mr. Bullough's book is the very thing that many English people have long needed; namely, a guide to the best Italian authors of the nine- teenth century. As the editor says, " oven those who read Italian have rarely penetrated into the intellectual life of modern Italy beyond Manzoni, Carducci or d'Annunzio, Matilda Serao or Grazia Deledda." Mr. Bullough's plan is to give typical extracts of two or three pages, with a brief biographical note of the author, and, at the end, the name of the publisher, for lack of which it is of ten very difficult to order a book from Italy. His selections, of prose and verse, are catholic and comprehensive, and will introduce many authors of genius, like Alfredo Panzini and Vittoria Aganoor, to the English reader. The book is divided roughly into sections—" God," "Nature," " " Life," " Thought." The last section includes a fragment of Benedetto Croce and an extract from Rosadi's learned and curious Trial of Jesus, as well as some of Pascoli's remarkable poems. Under Mr. Bullough's guidance the English student of Italian need never be in doubt as to what to read, though he may be embarrassed in choosing from so many books.
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