Recensire libri sui giornali

Abstract

The essay reconstructs the functions, measures, and genealogy of book reviews in Italian cultural journalism, from Montale’s “second trade” to the short forms cultivated by Manganelli, Berardinelli, and Pontiggia. In light of the transformation of cultural pages and weekend supplements, it argues that strict brevity can be a productive constraint, that the reader’s utility is an ethical criterion, and that the Third page has evolved across print and digital, highlighting continuities and changes in Italian militant criticism.