The identity of Elena Ferrante, the elusive author (and subject of a series of essays in the current issue of T) who has never been photographed, interviewed in person or seen in public, is a matter of intense debate thanks to her sharp, autobiographical novels, which explore female friendship in the context of Italian society. On the eve of the publication of “Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay,” the third volume in Ferrante’s Neapolitan series, we offer a short history of literary masks, from Jonathan Swift to J.K. Rowling.
埃琳娜·费兰特(Elena Ferrante)是一个难以捉摸的作家(本期的T杂志中也有若干文章是关于她的),她的照片从未公之于众,从不接受个人访谈,也从不在公众中出现,她那些犀利的、自传性质的小说以意大利社会为背景,探索女人之间的友谊,引发了激烈的争论。新书《离开的和留下来的》(Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay)是她的那不勒斯系列小说的第三卷,在这本书出版前夕,我们来盘点一下那些隐姓埋名的作家们——从乔纳森·斯威夫特(Jonathan Swift)到J·K·罗琳(J. K. Rowling)。