Correspondences and Parallels in European Literature, by Italian journalist and writer Alina J. Di Mattia, an expert in seventeenth-century history and culture, offers a compelling comparative study of ten emblematic author pairs from the European literary tradition. Moving in reverse chronological order—from the twentieth century back to the origins of literature—the volume explores enduring themes that have shaped European thought: inner journeys and transformation, justice and oppression, beauty and transience, solitude and hope. Though rooted in their respective historical contexts, the works analyzed reveal a striking sense of contemporaneity and a shared engagement with the complexities of human experience. Each chapter stages a dialogue between two writers—separated by time and geography, yet united by profound thematic affinities.
By examining differences in style, poetics, and worldview, the book demonstrates that European literature is not a mosaic of isolated traditions, but a living system forged through intersections, reinterpretations, and continuous exchange.
The aim is to offer readers a symbolic map of European literary thought—one that both interrogates the present and renews a vital connection with the past.