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(Paperback - Reprint)
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Set in Lombardy in the years 1628-30, The Betrothed tells the dramatic tale of two young lovers in a time of war, famine, and plague. Following them through exile and suffering, it displays great richness of characterization and a profound insight into the workings of history and the politics of the time. First published in 1827 as I promessi sposi, The Betrothed is the first modern Italian novel. Alessandro Manzoni was born in Milan to a noble family in 1785; although he was also a poet, he remains best known for The Betrothed. He died in 1873. David Forgacs is a Lecturer in Italian at Cambridge University; he is the author of Rethinking Italian Fascism and A Gramsci Reader. Matthew Reynolds is a Research Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge.
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March 09, 2004: Great as War and Peace is great. Though not well known in America, this is THE national Italian novel. In This book has something for everyone. It has an intriquing, suspenseful plotline. The core of it is a love story. It has alot of amazing characters(some real people, and all very truly realized) such as The Nun of Monza and the despotic tyrant known only as 'the Unnamed'. Alot of important and interesting subjects are interwoven along the way: History, international politics, religion, science, etc, etc. Although sometimes very serious, Manzoni presents the events in a very creative and often very humorous way. Frankly, Manzoni is a better author than any British or American writer I can think of. While his style is like Dickens meets Tolstoy, he wrote it before either of those men were published. While the book is profound, it also serves as a beautiful travelogue of Northern Italy. Trust me, you'll love this book, whoever you are. Just read it!
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May 18, 2001: I read this book during a trip to Italy in order to get a feel for the country and its history. Even though the novel is long, it is very fast-paced and you can read it quickly. Like many 19th century novels, it has a number of side stories, but is basically very plot-driven. It is melodramatic in the same way as Hugo's Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The historical events of 1628, particularly the plague of that year in Milan, are meticulously researched and detailed. The fictional story seems to be something of a mechanism to discuss the real issues of Italian politics of the 17th century. The part about the weird nun is taken from a true story. I immensely enjoyed this book and am writing this review because the previous reviewer seemed to think that this was only a book for Italians and not foreigners. I completely disagree with that assessment and would recommend this to anyone who enjoys 19th century novels, particularly those of Hugo, Walter Scott, Dickens, or Hawthorne.
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