IL PRATO IN FONDO AL MARE |I EDIZ. 1977 | STANISLAO NIEVO

This evocative novel by Stanislao Nievo, first published in 1974, blends investigative inquiry and imaginative introspection. The narrator—descendant of the famed Ippolito Nievo—embarks on a quest to uncover the fate of the steamship Ercole, which vanished in 1861. What begins as a historical reconstruction evolves into a metaphorical odyssey through memory, obsession, and surreal landscapes of the unconscious. Awarded the Premio Campiello in 1975, this work stands out for its intertwining of family legacy, national myth, and a dreamlike narrative that defies conventional genre boundaries.