Leonardo Sciascia

In this, the first critical study of Sciascia to appear in English since his death, Joseph Farrell examines the various aspects of his work as novelist, critic, essayist, journalist and acerbic political observer to show how the historical and cultural complexities of Sicily shaped his wider vision of life. A tenacious opponent of the Mafia, Sciascia recreated the detective story both to give voice to his opposition and to continue his own quest for an order founded on the values the Mafia contradicts – justice, truth and reason. His output falls into two categories, works of historical and contemporary fiction, and ‘essay-investigations’ which delve into mysteries from his own time and from the past. Sciascia always confronted the central political and moral issues of the day, and with most of his work now available in translation, this is a timely study of an important and influential Italian writer.