I believe his assessment was that Orlando Innamorato was inferior in quality and overly prolix. It was a brave assessment to make from someone who wrote a 22-volume history of Italy, but of the two charges Montanelli made, I think only the latter could be leveled back at him. Of course, comparing history and fiction is...well...not to be done.
Political correctness is the pettiest form of casuistry.
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
Trying to decide which of these is the best shared-world writer...
- 23/12/2012 02:23:35 AM
1034 Views
I have heard of the Bertrand fella, and the Twelve Paladins but I haven't read any of his works
- 23/12/2012 02:58:41 AM
772 Views
I do intend to read Orlando Furioso (and Gerusalemme Liberata) at some point.
- 23/12/2012 08:30:03 AM
809 Views
What does Gerusalemme Liberata have to do with it?
- 23/12/2012 02:49:41 PM
748 Views
Never had a formal lesson in Italian
- 23/12/2012 05:17:48 PM
771 Views
I actually believe Italian to be the easiest Romance language
- 23/12/2012 07:26:43 PM
730 Views
It certainly isn't the hardest (Romanian and then French might be that)
- 23/12/2012 07:42:38 PM
873 Views
Romanian always seemed quite easy to me
- 24/12/2012 02:08:17 AM
727 Views
I think we're interpreting this a bit differently here
- 24/12/2012 04:15:46 AM
921 Views
So by "purity" you really mean the simplicity and limitation on vowel sounds...
- 26/12/2012 01:20:40 AM
831 Views
Yes, although I prefer it being in reference to a lesser range of variation in vowel sound to letter
- 26/12/2012 04:33:06 AM
849 Views
Eh, they're both famous Italian epics? 
- 25/12/2012 07:06:37 PM
835 Views
- 25/12/2012 07:06:37 PM
835 Views
You make it sound as though Medieval Italian is radically different from Modern Italian.
- 26/12/2012 01:15:24 AM
870 Views
From the aesthetic point of view I think that Ariosto is recognized as the best.
- 23/12/2012 02:54:43 PM
862 Views
I agree (all but the Bar-Sur-Aube I've read in the original language, with translations to help)
- 23/12/2012 05:16:04 PM
858 Views
Since it's a short book I might just buy a paperback and hope Dumbarton Oaks issues a hardcover.
- 23/12/2012 07:29:52 PM
758 Views
It'll be a few months at least before I tackle Mommsen in any language
- 23/12/2012 07:44:42 PM
736 Views
I took a chance and ordered Orlando Furioso a week ago from amazon.it
- 24/12/2012 02:14:02 AM
1044 Views
Hopefully it'll be what you want
- 24/12/2012 04:19:32 AM
936 Views
Io sono trasportato di gioia
- 28/12/2012 12:32:21 AM
756 Views
And I just ordered their Tasso.
- 28/12/2012 01:09:08 AM
712 Views
Very strange indeed
- 28/12/2012 04:46:26 AM
875 Views
Montanelli was not a fan
- 28/12/2012 05:40:14 AM
921 Views
Excellent! 
- 28/12/2012 04:45:42 AM
858 Views
- 28/12/2012 04:45:42 AM
858 Views
The books are not as rigid as a cardboard-style hardcover, but they aren't very supple.
- 28/12/2012 05:36:35 AM
767 Views
I agree about the Old French and Catalan - it makes sense when you think about it.
- 25/12/2012 07:18:35 PM
774 Views
Having finished re-reading the Pulci, I think that one might interest you as well
- 25/12/2012 08:59:38 AM
783 Views
Saw the title of this and immediately thought: Tite Kubo. haha 
*NM*
- 03/01/2013 10:27:22 PM
939 Views
*NM*
- 03/01/2013 10:27:22 PM
939 Views