Guido Morselli
Guido Morselli (1912-1973) was an Italian novelist and essayist known for his complex exploration of themes such as religion, politics, and human relationships. Born in Bologna into a wealthy family, Morselli faced personal challenges early in life, including the death of his mother, which left a lasting impact on his mental health. After earning a law degree, he chose not to practice law and instead pursued a career in journalism while traveling extensively across Europe. Despite writing numerous works, only two were published during his lifetime, leading to feelings of isolation and despair.
Morselli's notable publications include *Proust o del sentimento*, an analytical essay on Marcel Proust, and the philosophical dialogue *Realismo e fantasia*. His most recognized novel, *Un drama borghese*, delves into the intricacies of familial relationships and desires set against the backdrop of a Swiss hospital. Following his suicide, Morselli's literary reputation grew posthumously, with ten additional works published thanks to the efforts of friends and advocates. His writings are characterized by a blend of wit and intellectual depth, reflecting a unique perspective on the societal conditions of postwar Italy.
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Subject Terms
Guido Morselli
Writer
- Born: August 15, 1912
- Birthplace: Bologna, Italy
- Died: July 31, 1973
- Place of death: Varese, Italy
Biography
Guido Morselli was born on April 15, 1912, in Bologna, Italy, the youngest of four children in the comfortably affluent Morselli clan. His father, Giovanna Morselli, managed a pharmaceutical company. His mother, Olga Morselli, died when he was only twelve. Her death may have contributed to the writer’s lifelong depression and sense of isolation.
Morselli was educated at a Jesuit preparatory school, but he rebelled against his instructors’ religious beliefs and practices. He earned a law degree from the University of Milan in 1935 but never practiced law. Instead, he traveled through Europe for two years, enhancing his command of continental languages.
Morselli served in the Italian army during World War II. Following the war, he joined his family in Varese, where he worked as a regional journalist for ten years. He composed numerous novels and essays, but only two of his works were published during his lifetime. He farmed a small plot in the mountainous region of Sasso di Gavirate, where he established a modest home, but the area increased in population and he returned to Varese. Though often involved romantically with women, Morselli never married. On July 31, 1973, Morselli took his life, distressed by the numerous rejections his submissions received from publishers. As an author, his reputation would be established posthumously after friends championed his writing; their efforts resulted in the publication of ten additional works.
Morselli’s first publication appeared in 1943. Proust o del sentimento is an overview of the French author, Marcel Proust, and his works. The essay reveals not only Morselli’s insightful scholarship but his intellectual viewpoint, one of observant detachment. Morselli’s second book, Realismo e fantasia, took the form of a philosophical dialogue between the author and a character named Sereno. The two debate aesthetics, existence, politics, and literature, with Morselli advocating change and the aptly named Sereno arguing for the status quo.
Much of Morselli’s writing from the 1950’s and 1960’s focuses on religion, politics, and sexuality. His most successful novel is Un drama borghese. Set in a claustrophobic rest hospital in Switzerland, the novel tells the story of a father and his teenaged daughter who come to the hospital for treatment of their respective illnesses. Their close confinement after a lengthy estrangement engenders incestuous desires that are diverted only by the arrival of a third party.
Another popular posthumous novel, Roma senza papa: Cronache romane di fine secolo ventisimo, imagines a crooked papacy in league with the Soviets to distribute a drug that induces religious fervor. Morselli’s central tenet in this dark comedy is that religion, far from being the opiate of the masses, is too powerful a social force to be left in the hands of a decaying institution; it is better placed in the hands of the people.
In hindsight, the rejection the reclusive Morselli experienced in his lifetime was unwarranted. His essays and novels reveal Morselli to be a witty intellectual capable of presenting and analyzing the status and prospects of postwar Italy. He observed society from its margins, a unique vantage point from which to write his generation’s stories.