Description

Thefirst English translation in more than fifty years of Alessandro Manzonis masterpiecea work of foundational Italian literature on par with the Divine Comedy and the DecameronThe Wall Street Journal

An exemplary historical novel The New Yorker from the father of modern Italian literature The Betrothed receives its first new Englishlanguage translation in fifty years hailed as alandmark literary occasion by Jhumpa Lahiri

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR The New Yorker

The Betrothed is a cornerstone of Italian culture language and literature Published in its final form in 1842 The Betrothed has inspired generations of Italian readers and writers Giuseppe Verdi composed his majestic Requiem Mass in honor of Manzoni Italo Calvino called the novel aclassic that has never ceased shaping reality in Italy while Umberto Eco praised its author as a most subtle critic and analyst of languages The Betrothed has been celebrated by Primo Levi and Natalia Ginzburg and is one of Pope Franciss favorite books But until now it has remained relatively unknown to English readers

In the fall of 1628 two young lovers are forced to flee their village on the shores of Lake Como after a powerful lord prevents their marriage plunging them into the maelstrom of history Manzoni draws on actual people and events to create an unforgettable fresco of Italian life and society In this greatest of historical novels he takes the reader on a journey through the Spanish occupation of Milan the ravages of war class tensions social injustice religious faith and a plague that devastates northern Italy But within Manzonis epic tale readers will alsohear powerful echoes of our own day

Michael F Moores dynamic new translationof The Betrothed brings to life Manzonis timeless literary masterpiece