Novels dealing with childhood memory are frequently said to be 'Proustian'. Those describing the decline of an aristocracy are likely to be labelled 'Lampedusian'. The people responsible for these ugly, usually unsuitable adjectives are sometimes reviewers but more often the culprits are publishers. A successful novel from last year was described on the cover as reminiscent of Lampedusa, chiefly because it took place in a part of Southern Italy (as it happens, the wrong part).

LRB 8 February 1990 | PDF Download