David Lodge is a contemporary British novelist who, from 1960 to 1987, was also professor of English Literature at the University of Birmingham. In his novels he has always been able to unite his literary and critical knowledge with powerful fictional skills. The course aims at showing the author's deep awareness of the whole process of ‘producing' a novel, from metanarrative devices to the connection with publishing. Special emphasis will be devoted to Lodge's experimentation with narrative structures and the defying novelty of contemporary society.
Students will be brought to appreciate not only Lodge's fictional inventions, but also his constant consciousness of the ‘modes of writing' and of their theoretical implication; they will also participate actively in the course with individual or group activities during seminars.

The course will be held in English.

1.     General information about Lodge's biography and career

2.     Paratextual features and editorial procedures: covers, blurbs, epighraphs, author's notes, forewords and afterwords

3.     Forms of Lodge's novels: intertextuality, pastiche and parody

4.     The British Museum is Falling Down: the beginning of Lodge's campus novels and James Joyce's influence.

5.     Changing Places: binary narrative, contemporary history and the comic mode

6.     Small World: an 'anthology' of English romance literature and of contemporary literary criticism

7.     Nice Work: a campus + industrial novel

8.     Therapy: an experiment in the modes of fiction and the use of parody

9.   Thinks...: fiction and computer science

Students are required to read The British Museum is Falling Down (E' crollato il British Museum) before lessons start.

During classes, students will be asked to partecipate in seminar activities.

Modalità didattiche

Lectures and seminars

Obblighi

Students are invited to attend lessons. They will also participate in seminar activities.

Testi di studio

Primary Texts: Lettere students are required to read three of the following novels (of which at least one in English):

- The British Museum is Falling Down, London, MacGibbon and Kee, 1965. (Penguin, 1983. BM) [E' crollato il British Museum, Milano, Bompiani, 1992]
- *Changing Places, London, Secker & Warburg, 1975. (Penguin, 1978. CP) [Scambi, Milano, Bompiani, 1988]
- *Small World, London, Secker & Warburg, 1984. (Penguin, 1985. SW) [Il professore va al congresso, Milano, Bompiani, 1990]
- Nice Work, London, Secker & Warburg. 1988. (Penguin, 1989. NW) [Ottimo lavoro, professore, Milano, Bompiani, 1994]
- Therapy, London, Secker & Warburg, 1995. (Penguin, 1996. THE) [La felicità è di questo mondo, Milano, Bompiani, 2000]
- Thinks..., London, Secker & Warburg, 2001. ( Penguin, 2002. THI) [Pensieri, pensieri, Milano, Bompiani, 2002]
* Either CP or SW is mandatory.

Secondary Texts (in the following list # 4 must be read independently of individual choices. For each novel students will read at least one article chosen from # 1, 2, 3, and 5 (at least three altogether):

1. Lodge, D., Consciousness and the Novel, Penguin, 2003 [relevant chaps. "Consciousness and the Novel", 1-91 (general); "Kirkegaard for Social Purposes", (Therapy); "A Conversation about Thinks..."].
2. ___, The Practice of Writing, Harmodsworth, Penguin, 1997 [relevant chaps. "The Novelist Today: Still at the Crossroads?", (general); "Fact and Fiction in the Novel (general, Changing Places, Nice Work); "Creative Writing: Can it/Should it be Taught?" (general, Thinks...); "The Novel as Communication" (general)].
3. ___, Write On, Harmondsworth, Penguin 1988 [relevant chap. "Small World: An Introduction". The text will be posted on prof. Mullini website].
4. Mullini, R., Il demone della forma. Intorno ai romanzi di David Lodge, Imola, La Mandragora, 2001.
5. ___, "Testualità parodica e liminalità della donna in The British Museum is Falling Down", Linguæ &, 1/2004, pp. 43-56, www.ledonline.it/lingu

NB: All "Introductions" and/or "Afterwords" by D. Lodge published in the novels are required readings and don't substitute any secondary text.

Methodology:

Bernardelli, A., Intertestualità, Firenze, La Nuova Italia, 2000.
Lodge, D., The Art of Fiction, Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1992. [L'arte della narrativa, Milano, Bompiani, 1995]

Modalità di
accertamento

Oral exams (in Italian)

Class activities will also be evaluated

Students are kindly requested to bring the list of their readings with them on the exam day

Disabilità e DSA

Le studentesse e gli studenti che hanno registrato la certificazione di disabilità o la certificazione di DSA presso l'Ufficio Inclusione e diritto allo studio, possono chiedere di utilizzare le mappe concettuali (per parole chiave) durante la prova di esame.

A tal fine, è necessario inviare le mappe, due settimane prima dell’appello di esame, alla o al docente del corso, che ne verificherà la coerenza con le indicazioni delle linee guida di ateneo e potrà chiederne la modifica.

Modalità didattiche

Lectures and seminars

Obblighi

Non attending students are warmly advised to get in touch with professor Mullini either by phone during the office hours, or by e-mail.

They are required to use their university e-mail address if they want to receive an asnwer.

Testi di studio

Primary Texts Lettere students are required to read three of the following novels (of which at least one in English):

- The British Museum is Falling Down, London, MacGibbon and Kee, 1965. (Penguin, 1983. BM) [E' crollato il British Museum, Milano, Bompiani, 1992]
- *Changing Places, London, Secker & Warburg, 1975. (Penguin, 1978. CP) [Scambi, Milano, Bompiani, 1988]
- *Small World, London, Secker & Warburg, 1984. (Penguin, 1985. SW) [Il professore va al congresso, Milano, Bompiani, 1990]
- Nice Work, London, Secker & Warburg. 1988. (Penguin, 1989. NW) [Ottimo lavoro, professore, Milano, Bompiani, 1994]
- Therapy, London, Secker & Warburg, 1995. (Penguin, 1996. THE) [La felicità è di questo mondo, Milano, Bompiani, 2000]
- Thinks..., London, Secker & Warburg, 2001. ( Penguin, 2002. THI) [Pensieri, pensieri, Milano, Bompiani, 2002]
* Either CP or SW is mandatory.

Secondary Texts (in the following list # 4 must be read independently of individual choices. For each novel students will read at least one article chosen from # 1, 2, 3, and 5 (at least three altogether):

1. Lodge, D., Consciousness and the Novel, Penguin, 2003 [relevant chaps. "Consciousness and the Novel", 1-91 (general); "Kirkegaard for Social Purposes", (Therapy); "A Conversation about Thinks..."].
2. ___, The Practice of Writing, Harmodsworth, Penguin, 1997 [relevant chaps. "The Novelist Today: Still at the Crossroads?", (general); "Fact and Fiction in the Novel (general, Changing Places, Nice Work); "Creative Writing: Can it/Should it be Taught?" (general, Thinks...); "The Novel as Communication" (general)].
3. ___, Write On, Harmondsworth, Penguin 1988 [relevant chap. "Small World: An Introduction". The text will be posted on prof. Mullini website].
4. Mullini, R., Il demone della forma. Intorno ai romanzi di David Lodge, Imola, La Mandragora, 2001.
5. ___, "Testualità parodica e liminalità della donna in The British Museum is Falling Down", Linguæ &, 1/2004, pp. 43-56, www.ledonline.it/lingu

NB: All "Introductions" and/or "Afterwords" by D. Lodge published in the novels are required readings and don't substitute any secondary text.

Methodology:

Bernardelli, A., Intertestualità, Firenze, La Nuova Italia, 2000.
Lodge, D., The Art of Fiction, Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1992. [L'arte della narrativa, Milano, Bompiani, 1995]

Modalità di
accertamento

Oral exams (in Italian)

Students are kindly requested to bring the list of their readings with them on the exam day

Disabilità e DSA

Le studentesse e gli studenti che hanno registrato la certificazione di disabilità o la certificazione di DSA presso l'Ufficio Inclusione e diritto allo studio, possono chiedere di utilizzare le mappe concettuali (per parole chiave) durante la prova di esame.

A tal fine, è necessario inviare le mappe, due settimane prima dell’appello di esame, alla o al docente del corso, che ne verificherà la coerenza con le indicazioni delle linee guida di ateneo e potrà chiederne la modifica.

Corso mutuato dalla Facoltà di Lingue e Letterature straniere.

Possible changes and additional material will be inserted into professor Mullini's 'Materiale didattico' on the Faculty web site (www.uniurb.it/lingue). Therefore students are invited to check that page, especially before starting studying for the exam.

When e-mailing prof. Mullini, all students are required to use their university e-mail address if they want to receive an answer.