Il libro di Don Chisciotte

A weary traveler arrives back in Rome after a long stint in Calabria, only to find his old literary circle waiting with sharp jokes and good‑natured ribbing. Their teasing about his “asinin” ideas and the odd warnings from a friend named Angelo spark a restless curiosity in him. Rather than shrink away, he likens his new mission to that of a modern Don Quixote, determined to tilt at the windmills of contemporary Italian criticism.

With a blend of satire and earnest manifesto, he launches into a spirited defense of a revitalized Italian letters. He invokes the great European thinkers—from Goethe’s concept of world literature to the Schlegel brothers—arguing that true art must break free from stale French influence and awaken a fresh, patriotic imagination. The opening sets the stage for a witty, self‑reflective journey through the battles of ideas, humor, and the restless quest for a new literary identity.