Djevica i mondena: Roman iz rimskog života

The Virgin and the Modest is a novel by the Italian writer, journalist and literary critic Mario Puccini, one of the most prominent representatives of Italian literature from the early 20th century. Subtitled as a "novel from Roman life", the novel is set in the social environment of Rome at the time.

The title itself refers to the fundamental opposition between two female types – the virgin and the fashionable woman – through which the author explores the relationship between traditional moral values ​​and modern urban life. The focus is on love relationships, social ambitions and personal choices of characters who are between feelings and social expectations.

Puccini belongs to a generation of Italian authors who are moving away from grand historical themes and increasingly focus on psychological and social analysis of modern man. His style is characterized by clear narration, interesting characterization of characters and a sense of social atmosphere. Rome in the novel is not only the setting but also a symbol of a society that is between tradition and modernity, which gives the work a broader cultural context.

Today, The Virgin and the Social is interesting as an example of popular Italian bourgeois prose from the early 20th century, but also as part of the rich translation and publishing tradition of interwar Croatia. The Croatian edition from 1924 testifies to the strong presence of Italian literature among domestic readers and to the important role of Andrić's Entertaining Library in shaping reading tastes between the two world wars.