) ▁were ▁patri ots ▁and ▁polit icians ▁too , ▁and ▁in ▁their ▁nov els ▁the ▁ve iled ▁polit ic ▁message ▁of ▁Man z oni ▁became ▁explicit ▁( the ▁hero ▁of ▁E tt ore ▁F ier amos ca ▁f ights ▁to ▁defend ▁the ▁honor ▁of ▁the ▁Italian ▁soldiers , ▁mock ed ▁by ▁some ▁ar rog ant ▁French men ). ▁Unfortunately , ▁in ▁them ▁the ▁narr ative ▁ ▁talent ▁not ▁equ aled ▁the ▁patri otic ▁passion , ▁and ▁their ▁nov els , ▁full ▁of ▁r het or ic ▁and ▁mel od ram atic ▁excess es , ▁are ▁today ▁bare ly ▁readable ▁as ▁historical ▁documents . ▁A ▁significant ▁exception ▁is ▁The ▁Conf essions ▁of ▁an ▁Italian ▁by ▁I pp ol ito ▁Nie vo , ▁an ▁ep ic ▁about ▁the ▁Ven et ian ▁republic ' s ▁fall ▁and ▁the ▁Napole onic ▁age , ▁told ▁with ▁sat ir ic ▁ir ony ▁and ▁youth ful ▁b rio ▁( N ie vo ▁wrote ▁it ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁ 2 6 ▁years ▁old ). ▁▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁ ▁Germany ▁A ▁major ▁ 2 0 th - century ▁example ▁of ▁this ▁genre ▁is ▁the ▁German ▁author ▁Thomas ▁Mann ' s ▁Bud den bro oks ▁( 1 9 0 1 ). ▁This ▁chron icles ▁the ▁decl ine ▁of ▁a ▁wealth y ▁north ▁German ▁merchant ▁family ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁four ▁gener ations , ▁incident ally ▁port ray ing ▁the ▁manner ▁of ▁life ▁and ▁m ores ▁of ▁the ▁Han se atic ▁b our ge ois ie ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁from ▁ 1