AN ITALIAN READER WITH NOTES AND VOCABULARY BY A. MARINONI Professor of Romance Languages in the University of Arkansas NEW YORK WILLIAM R. JENKINS CO. PUBLISHERS 851 and 853 Sixth Avenue PREFACE WHEN one presents a new text-book there should be good reasons for such presentation; mere multiplication of texts is undesirable. The main reason for compiling this book lies in the fact that for American. students there is a lack of satisfactory material for first readings in present day Italian. In such collections as are now available the best modern sources are neglected. This book is, therefore, an attempt to meet a deficiency and to give an introduction to modern Italian literature. The material is so abundant that the only difficulty is one of choice. Accordingly, this collection does not purport to be the best possible selection; it is a selection of the best. For the most part, the readings are taken from short story writers, but other literary forms have not been neglected. Each selection is complete in itself, and the arrangement of the selections is in order of increasing difficulty, both as regards structure and ideas. When necessary the text has been slightly abridged. After due consideration, I thought it best to include a vocabulary. The latter I have tried to make as pertinent as possible, thereby avoiding a multiplication of notes. As a matter of interest and information I have given short biographical and critical notes in regard to the authors represented. It is with pleasure that I acknowledge my indebtedness for advice and encouragement to Professors C. L. Speranza, A. Cohn, and L. A. Loiseaux of Columbia University, to Professor Tracy Peck of Yale, to Dr. J. W. Carr of the University of Maine, and to my colleagues, Professors E. F. Shannon and C. G. Carroll of the University of Arkansas. I shall be grateful to my brother teachers for any criticisms and notices of errors. And, if to never so small an extent I shall have helped to arouse more interest in the study of my native language, I shall feel repaid for my efforts. A. MARINONI. |