{"product_id":"9780231057073","title":"The Moral Essays","description":"\u003cp\u003eNewly awakened interest in Giacomo Leopardi (1798-1837), arguably the greatest Italian poet since the Renaissance, has resulted in this project to translate a major portion of his works. This volume is the first of four which will encompass the great \u003ci\u003eCanti\u003c\/i\u003e (in bilingual text), selections from the poet's correspondence, a substantial portion of his enormous intellectual journal, the \u003ci\u003eZibaldone,\u003c\/i\u003e and the focus of the present volume, the \u003ci\u003eOperette morali.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOriginally planned as a set of dialogues in the manner of Lucian, the \u003ci\u003eOperette\u003c\/i\u003e is a compilation of brief, interrelated works on questions of moral philosphy. By means of numerous characters, and by means of a range of styles, Leopardi grapples with a theory of pleasure, the concepts of fame, the infinite, human happiness, the function of poetry, and other topics. In the poet's own opinion, the \u003ci\u003eOperette\u003c\/i\u003e represented his major philosophical speculation and ranked just below his \u003ci\u003eCanti.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Perseus (for Columbia University Press)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47026995003632,"sku":"9780231057073","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780231057073_p0.jpg?v=1763677818","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780231057073","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}