De Amicis, Edmondo

Born Oct. 31. 1846, in Oneglia, Piedmont; died Mar. 11, 1908, in Bordig hera. Italian writer.

De Amicis’ work is, on the whole, realistic and imbued with democratic ideas. His children’s novella The Heart of a Boy (1886), written in the form of a schoolboy’s diary, gained worldwide fame. In his works vivid accounts of everyday life alternate with romantic short stories about heroic children. De Amicis instills respect for people who labor, love for one’s homeland, and a feeling of fellowship; although only superficially, he touches upon the theme of social inequality. The novella Story of a Teacher (1890) and the collection of short stories Between School and Home (1892) deal with the problem of education; De Amicis’ most famous novella, Teacher of Workers, was used by V. V. Mayakovsky for the screenplay of The Noble Girl and the Hooligan (1918).