Cesare Pavese, an influential figure in 20th-century Italian literature, was born on 9th September 1908 in Santo Stefano Belbo, a small town in the Piedmont region of Italy.
Pavese was raised in a middle-class family, and his early life was marked by the death of his father, which left a profound impact on him. He enrolled at the Liceo Classico Massimo d’Azeglio, where he was mentored by the Italian anti-Fascist intellectual, Augusto Monti.
Pavese was drafted into Mussolini’s Fascist army, but due to his asthma, he was spared from front-line duties and spent six months in a military hospital instead.
While he was away, German forces occupied Turin. After being discharged from the army on health grounds, he returned to civilian life and went into hiding in the hills around Serralunga di Crea, near Casale Monferrato, where he stayed from 1943 to 1945.
Themes of solitude and existential despair
Pavese’s literary career was characterised by a focus on themes of solitude, existential despair, and the struggles of human existence. His first major work, Lavorare stanca (Hard Labour), a collection of poems published in 1936, was not widely recognised at the time. Several novels followed including Il Compagno (The Comrade), La Casa in Collina (The House on the Hill), and La Luna e i Falò (The Moon and the Bonfires), which are considered significant contributions to Italian literature.
Most of Pavese’s work, consisting primarily of short stories and novellas, was published by Einaudi between the end of the Second World War and his death. During this period, he was an active member of the Italian Communist Party and contributed to its newspaper, L’Unità.
In many of Pavese’s stories, the main character is portrayed as a solitary figure whose relationships with both men and women are typically fleeting. Although his narratives are often bleak, he was praised for the conciseness of his prose, which drew favourable comparisons to that of Ernest Hemingway.
His works were strongly influenced by his interest in American literature, which was developed during his studies and his translation work. American authors like Herman Melville and John Steinbeck were translated by Pavese into Italian, and their stylistic approaches and thematic concerns were adopted by him. This influence can be seen in his narrative style, which is marked by simplicity and directness.
The end of World War II saw Pavese returning to Turin, where he resumed his literary and editorial work with the publishing house Einaudi. During this period, he was awarded the prestigious Strega Prize in 1950 for his novel La Bella Estate (The Beautiful Summer).
Personal life of Cesare Pavese
Despite his professional success, Pavese’s personal life was marred by feelings of alienation, depression, and failed romantic relationships. His last relationship, with American actress Constance Dowling, is seen as a contributory factor in his death.
Cesare Pavese took his own life on 27th August 1950 in a hotel room in Turin, shortly before his 42nd birthday. Entries in his diary indicated that he had been profoundly depressed following his break-up with Dowling, which he took as a sign that he would never find happiness in marriage, or with other people.
Cesare Pavese, writer and literary critic, is credited with introducing Italy to the works of Irish novelist James Joyce and numerous prominent American authors of the 20th century through his work as a translator.
Recommended book
‘An astonishing portrait of an innocent on the verge of discovering the cruelties of love… there are whispers here of the future work of Elena Ferrante’ Elizabeth Strout, from the introduction
‘Life was a perpetual holiday in those days…’
It’s the height of summer in 1930s Italy and sixteen-year-old Ginia is desperate for adventure. So begins a fateful friendship with Amelia, a stylish and sophisticated artist’s model who envelops her in a dazzling new world of bohemian artists and intoxicating freedom.
Disclosure
This website contains affiliate links to businesses we chose to partner with. If you use these links to buy something, we earn a small commission. It helps to keep us to keep the site going. Any advertising banners you may see are also links to partners. If you click on them and subsequently make a purchase, it may also earn us a commission.
