"A Multitude of Women looks at the ways in which both Italian literary tradition and external factors have influenced Italian women writers in rethinking the theoretical and aesthetic ties between author, text, and readership in the construction of the novel. In her analysis, Stefania Lucamante discusses the unique contributions that Italian women writers have made to the contemporary novel, addressing works by Maraini, Ferrarrte, Vinci, and others with reference to concepts of intertextuality and feminist theory." "This study identifies a positive deviation from literary and ideological orthodoxy in the contemporary Italian novel and considers its effect on the traditional notion of the literary canon. Lucamante argues that this development is partly due to the impact of women writers and their avoidance of conventional patterns in narrative while favouring forms that are more attuned to the ever-changing needs of society. She shows that contemporary novels by women authors reflect a major shift in thinking, and that the actual literary and aesthetic significance of the novel has been profoundly affected by female emancipation. By overturning epistemological schemas bound to a set time and place, Italian women writers are producing a more meaningful relationship with their readers while expanding the possibilities of the novel."--Jacket.