As best exemplified by the works of Pirandello, Svevo, Palazzeschi, and Gadda, Italian modernist fiction is particularly rich in bizarre and ludicrous characters, whose originality is often derided by a uniform society. On the other hand, laughter can also be used by the author (or by the misfits themselves) as a reaction to the leveling pressure of social life - Pirandello's umorismo, Svevo's irony, Palazzeschi's controdolore, and Gadda's satire are all good cases in point.
Looked at from this perspective, early 20th-century Italian fiction can set the basis for an innovative reflection...