List Epithetical Books The Volcano Lover
| Title | : | The Volcano Lover |
| Author | : | Susan Sontag |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 432 pages |
| Published | : | August 1st 2004 by Picador (first published 1992) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Historical. Historical Fiction. Cultural. Italy. Novels. Literature |
Susan Sontag
Paperback | Pages: 432 pages Rating: 3.59 | 2070 Users | 198 Reviews
Commentary Conducive To Books The Volcano Lover
Set in 18th century Naples, based on the lives of Sir William Hamilton, his celebrated wife Emma, and Lord Nelson, and peopled with many of the great figures of the day, this unconventional, bestselling historical romance from the National Book Award-winning author of In America touches on themes of sex and revolution, the fate of nature, art and the collector's obsessions, and, above all, love.
Present Books During The Volcano Lover
| Original Title: | The Volcano Lover ISBN13 9780312420072 |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Characters: | William Hamilton, Emma, Lady Hamilton, Horatio Nelson |
| Setting: | Naples(Italy) |
Rating Epithetical Books The Volcano Lover
Ratings: 3.59 From 2070 Users | 198 ReviewsAssessment Epithetical Books The Volcano Lover
This is a DNF for me. Everything about it feels distant, pretentious, and I'm bored with it after just a few chapters. Moving onto something else...Deep research on scandals and art works of aristocratic late 18th-century Naples around the time of the French Revolution made into good story/character study of English aesthete and collector William Hamilton, his two wives, and Admiral Nelson. Hamilton profited from the excavations at Pompeii, had an intimate view of the scatalogical excesses and executions perpetrated by the Neapolitan court, and participated in a few menages a trois. His second wife Emma progresses as a Barry Lyndon-type
Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson: war hero and butcher, the toast of London and the scourge of Naples. Lady Emma Hamilton: model and muse and wife and mistress, the toast of Naples and the scandal of London. Lord William Hamilton: English ambassador to the Kingdom of Naples, collector of vases, lover of volcanoes, husband to Emma and friend to Horatio, a power in Naples and a joke in London. A famous love triangle: brave, tragic hero falls in love with the young, enchantingly beautiful wife of an
A brilliant novel. Fiercely intelligent.
In this novel, Sontag's insights are deft, her prose luxurious, and her characters vivid. While I might have preferred a faster pace at certain points, I enjoyed the book because of how easy it was to feel transported. Great escapist literature, and an interesting story.
I'm usually a fast reader given my own set of circumstances. This, however, is a different story considering that this was an exhausting read which took me almost 2 months to finish. Nevertheless this book was interesting, painting a vivid and poignant picture of the life of The Cavaliere as an antiquarian, diplomat, husband, and a lover of the volcano. I loved how Susan Sontag writes with depth, sucking the reader in with deep thoughts beyond what can only be grasped as mere observations.
I love this book, having first read it back in '92-'93. It's still sitting right there on my shelf, despite having been pulled off several times for a re-read. Complex? Uhmmm, not really. Big words? No bigger, certainly, than McCarthy. Ha! Not even close. No, just top of the line, grade A, "historical romance." If that. I'd call it much more myself. Susan Sontag is a writers writer. 5 Star caliber all the way.
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