Pietro Citati's 'Le mal absolu' Explores Evil in 19th-Century Novels

Pietro Citati's book 'Le mal absolu' (Éditions Gallimard-L'arpenteur) investigates the intrusion of evil into the destinies of characters by Jane Austen, Dostoevsky, Stevenson, De Quincey, Hawthorne, and Dumas. Subtitled 'Au cœur du roman du dix-neuvième siècle', it also examines Edgar Poe's melancholy, referencing Henri Justin's 'Avec Poe Jusqu'au bout de la prose'. Citati delves into authors' lives and works to uncover the image or symptom of absolute evil. A substantial section focuses on Alessandro Manzoni, author of 'The Betrothed' (1827), who sought possession by something grand and found it in faith, yet suffered from a familial legacy of madness and neurosis. Citati also discusses Charles Dickens' 'David Copperfield', asserting that not loving Dickens is a mortal sin, as his art reached a pinnacle by blending mad laughter with a descent into darkness, influencing Tolstoy, Conrad, Joyce, Kafka, and Dylan Thomas. The book touches on Freud's 'The Interpretation of Dreams', noting Freud's torment from a sense of lack or obscure wound. This work is a magnificent inquiry into the great works that shaped 20th-century literature and arts.