Iguana

Anna-Maria Ortese (1914-1998) is one of the most original figures in 20th century Italian literature. In attempts to trace her creative genesis, Ortese's prose is often compared to the texts of Italo Calvino, the creator of magical worlds and allegorical tales. However, this is largely an artificial comparison, merely highlighting the mystery of Ortese's prose. The novel «Iguana», the most famous work of the writer, is the story of a young Milanese aristocrat who travels the world and his encounter with a mysterious half-girl, half-iguana on a time- and space-lost island of Ocanha. Whether it is a philosophical fairy tale, a nightmarish dream, an anti-colonial novel, or a call for revenge for all the suffering and oppressed - «Iguana» defies unequivocal interpretation. This novel, like the island, the main setting, seems to belong to another dimension, yet it persistently addresses us, telling about the eternal obsessions, woes, and desires of humanity.