Capuana, Luigi

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Luigi Capuana (lōōē´jē käpwä´nä), 1839–1915, Italian critic and novelist. His activities included teaching, scientific study, and politics. He wrote in almost every genre, but his reputation rests upon his naturalistic novels and criticism. Among his best works are the short stories in Paesane [peasant women] (1894), the novel Il marchese di Roccaverdina (1901), and his Studi della letteratura contemporanea (1879–82). His stories for children include Nimble Legs (1903, tr. 1927) and Once upon a Time (1882, tr. 1892).