نظرة عامة على البرنامج

CHINESE LITERATURE AND CULTURE II

Overview

The course aims to provide students with a general understanding of the history of Chinese culture and literature from the Tang dynasty (618-907) to the 20th century. It will highlight the developments in literary production in classical language up to the end of the imperial era and introduce the main cultural and literary phenomena of the 20th century.

Aims and Content

Learning Outcomes

The course intends to deepen themes and phases of Chinese culture in its diachronic evolution, focusing on textual production and genre varieties, highlighting links and specific traits in relation to the historical development. Through the guided reading of selected extracts in Chinese starting from the Tang era (618-907) onwards, the main cultural phenomena characterising the imperial era from the 7th century to the crucial events of the twentieth century will be presented.

Aims and Learning Outcomes

This course aims to provide an overview of the diachronic development of Sinophone culture in the twentieth century, with particular emphasis on significant literary, historical, and socio-cultural aspects. By the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Navigate the cultural and geo-linguistic landscape of the contemporary Sinophone world.
2. Read and translate texts and works in the original language, explain their content with appropriate contextualization, and relate them to the major historical and cultural developments of the twentieth century in different Sinophone contexts.
3. Demonstrate their acquisition of the knowledge and methodological tools necessary to analyze the context in which the most recent phases of Chinese civilization have taken place.
4. Use academic and disciplinary terminology with increasing familiarity to articulate their reflections in a persuasive and effective manner.
5. Develop a functional and adaptive learning model for evaluating the complex cultural, media-related, historical, and literary phenomena of the Sinophone world.

Prerequisites

Having successfully completed and assimilated the content of the first-year course.

Teaching Methods

Frontal teaching in person, with guided independent activities like reading scientific articles and watching audiovisual materials to be later discussed in class.

Syllabus/Content

The course consists of in-person lectures conducted in Italian, during which key themes and topics from the assigned texts and bibliography will be explored in depth and contextualized. Particular focus will be placed on the literary and cultural production that emerged after 1949.

Recommended Reading/Bibliography

• Mandatory texts:
  • Pesaro N., Pirazzoli M., La narrativa cinese del Novecento , Roma, Carocci, 2019 (Second part).
  • Lecture notes and selected readings provided.
  • Saramari G., La Cina contemporanea (nuova ediz.), Torino, Einaudi, 2017 (parte seconda)
  • One of the following:
    1. Roberts, J.A.G., Storia della Cina , Bologna, Il Mulino, 2001 (capp. V-VI-VII).
    2. Vogelsang K., Cina. Una storia millenaria. Torino, Einaudi, 2014 (da cap VI-3.1 [Qing] fino a cap. IX 2.2 [Ambivalenze società mondiale])
    3. Saramari G., La Cina contemporanea (nuova ediz.), Parte Prima.
• List A:
  • Bai Xianyong, Gente di Taipei , Roma, Atmosphere Libri, 2023.
  • Bi Feiyu, I maestri di Tuina , Palermo, Sellerio, 2012.
  • Can Xue, La città del fumo , Milano, Utopia, 2025.
  • Fang Fang, Come un seme sepolto dal tempo , Milano, Rizzoli, 2022.
  • Gao Xingjian, La montagna dell'anima , Milano, Rizzoli, 2008.
  • Ge Fei, Il mantello dell'invisibilità , Isola del Liri, Fazi, 2024.
  • Jia Pingwa, Lanterna e il distretto dei ciliegi , Roma, Elliot, 2017.
  • Li Yiyun, Più gentile della solitudine , Milano, NN editore, 2025.
  • Liu Cixin, Il problema dei tre corpi , Milano, Mondadori, 2017.
  • Liu Heng, La vita felice del ciarliero Zhang Daming , Roma, Atmosphere Libri, 2018.
  • Liu Zhenyun, Un giorno, tre autunni , Roma Orientalia, 2024.
  • Liu Zhenyun, Divorzio alla cinese , Milano, Bompiani, 2016.
  • Ma Jian, Il sogno cinese , Milano Feltrinelli, 2021.
  • Ma Jian, La via oscura , Milano Feltrinelli, 2015.
  • Mo Yan, Le rane , Torino, Einaudi, 2014
  • Mo Yan, Sorgo Rosso , Torino, Einaudi, 2014.
  • Qiu Maojin, Ultime lettere da Montmartre , Milano, Jaca Book, 2016.
  • Voci da Taiwan , a cura di R. Lombardi, Roma, Orientalia, 2022.
  • Wang Anyi, La canzone dell'eterno rimpianto , Torino, Einaudi, 2011.
  • Wang Xiaobo, L'età dell'oro , Milano, Carbonio, 2024.
  • Wang Zhenhe, Rosa rosa amore mio , Roma, Orientalia, 2014.
  • Wu Ming-yi, Montagne e nuvole negli occhi , Roma, Edizioni e/o, 2021.
  • Yan Lianke, Il giorno in cui morì il sole , Nottetempo, 2022.
  • Yan Lianke, Servire il popolo, Torino, Einaudi, 2006
  • Ye Zhaoyan, La storia del giuggiolo , Roma, Atmosphere Libri, 2021.
  • Yu Hua , La città che non c'è , Milano, Feltrinelli, 2024.
  • Yu Hua, , Milano Feltrinelli, 2012.
  • Zhu Tianxin, Nostalgia dei miei fratelli dei villaggi militari , Roma, Orientalia, 2023.
• List B:
  • Brown K., Perché Taiwan conta , Torino, Einaudi, 2025.
  • Clemens J., Isola ribelle. L'incredibile storia di Taiwan , Torino, EDT, 2025.
  • Dunlop F., Invito a un banchetto. Sapori e storie della cucina cinese , Torino, ADD, 2025.
  • Lim L., La città indelebile. Hong Kong tradita e ribelle , Torino, ADD, 2023.
  • Lupis M., Hong Kong. Racconto di una città sospesa , Bologna, Il Mulino, 2021.
  • Pelaggi, L'isola sospesa. Taiwan e gli equilibri del mondo , Milano, Luiss UP, 2022.
  • Sala, I.M., L'eclissi di Hong Kong. Topografia di una città in tumulto , Torino, ADD, 2022.
  • Sulla Via del Catai. Taiwan, l'isola che c'è. Un ritratto del paese asiatico tra storia, identità e democrazia, a cura di F. Passi, n. 30, 05/2024.

Teachers and Exam Board

• Teacher: Luca Pisano
• Exam Board:
  • Luca Pisano (President)
  • Giovanna Puppin

Lessons

• Lessons Start: Lessons will be held on both first and second semester. Schedule and location will be communicated at a later date.
• Class Schedule: To be announced.

Exams

• Exam Description: Oral interview in Italian. The students will show their ability to relate the various topics covered in the course.
• Assessment Methods: The students will have to demonstrate the assimilation of the main topics, to have acquired the basic knowledge of the course contents, to be able to elaborate a short speech on one or more topics, related to the compulsory monographs and/or with the selected texts introduced during the course.
• Exam Schedule:
  • 20/01/2026, 10:00, GENOVA
  • 10/02/2026, 10:00, GENOVA
  • 16/06/2026, 14:00, GENOVA
  • 30/06/2026, 14:00, GENOVA
  • 14/07/2026, 14:00, GENOVA

Further Information

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak with the instructor and with Prof. Sara Dickinson, the Department's disability liaison.