Tabucchi's waiting rooms

Abstract

Various critics have pointed out the fragmentary nature of Antonio Tabucchi's literary production, hovering as it does between the novel and the short story. One of the most remarkable components of his works is the recurrence of strange appointments and apparently accidental encounters. Equally crucial is the period of time preceding these particular moments, that is to say, the time spent in waiting for things to happen. The tension created by waiting forms a leitmotiv which runs through all Tabucchi's works. The present paper will attempt to define this narrative topos by examining the following aspects of selected works: their different settings and how Tabucchi's notion of time affects the characters and the development of the plot.