Lessico famigliare

Giuseppe Levi, Natalia Ginzburg, and Lessico Famigliare (Family Lexicon): a seminal figure in the history of neuron cell biology and histology seen through his daughter's literary eyes

“…Lessico Famigliare 3 is an account of Natalia's early life, family, and the words shared among them; it strongly correlates with the exceptional circumstances which her family navigated. 15 As noted by Zambra, 19 it is “the history of a Jewish, antifascist family that lives through horror, and only partially survives it”.…”

“…15 As noted by Zambra, 19 it is “the history of a Jewish, antifascist family that lives through horror, and only partially survives it”. Natalia freely admitted that, although “[she] made nothing up”, 3 “[she] wrote solely of what [she] remembered”; 3 thus, it is a memoir of the little things. 20…”

“…Her father is the dominant figure, his voice thundering in fearsome fits of temper: “anything was enough to drive him into a scary choler”; 3 “most severe in his judgments, he called everybody ‘imbecile’” 3 . Few subjects aggrieved Levi more than the fascist ascension: he “would come back furious for having found hordes of Blackshirts on his way home, or for discovering new fascists among his friends”.…”

“…Few subjects aggrieved Levi more than the fascist ascension: he “would come back furious for having found hordes of Blackshirts on his way home, or for discovering new fascists among his friends”. 3 After the family returned to Italy from Belgium, Levi faked his name, becoming “Giuseppe Lovisatto”. 3 His ethnicity led to his arrest, and he was released after “fifteen or twenty days [...] he had an overgrown beard but was proud to have been jailed”.…”

“…His daughter Natalia Ginzburg, née Levi (1916–1991) ( Figure 1B ), achieved fame as one of the most celebrated Italian authors of the twentieth century. 2 Lessico Famigliare ( Family Lexicon ), 3 from 1963, is a semibiographical account of her early life containing a multitude of details of her upbringing, emphasizing her father. It provides depth and complexity to a singular character in the development of neuroscience, enabling modern neurologists to fully appreciate Levi's life and contributions.…”