The Betrothed: (I Promessi Sposi)
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Fair
Jacket: Slipcase: Worn
Pages: Tanning and foxing
Set against the turbulent backdrop of seventeenth-century Lombardy under Spanish rule, The Betrothed chronicles the harrowing journey of two young peasants, Renzo and Lucia, whose plans to marry are cruelly thwarted by the machinations of a tyrannical local lord. Alessandro Manzoni's masterwork — first published in its final form in 1842 — unfolds across a landscape ravaged by plague, famine, and political corruption, weaving an unforgettable tale of faith, resilience, and the enduring power of love against overwhelming adversity. Translated with elegance and scholarly precision by Archibald Colquhoun, and beautifully illustrated with drawings by Eric Fraser, this Folio Society edition presents the novel in a form worthy of its towering literary stature. Widely regarded as the greatest Italian novel ever written, The Betrothed stands as a cornerstone of European Romantic literature, blending meticulous historical detail with a deeply humane moral vision. Manzoni's prose is at once sweeping and intimate, shifting effortlessly between grand historical panoramas and the quiet anguish of ordinary lives caught in extraordinary circumstances. His nuanced portrayal of Providence, justice, and human frailty continues to resonate across centuries, prompting readers to ask whether virtue can truly triumph in a world governed by power — a question as urgent today as it was in Manzoni's own time.
Author: Alessandro Manzoni
Format: Hardback
Published: 1969, The Folio Society
Genre: Historical fiction
Condition remarks:
Book: Fair
Jacket: Slipcase: Worn
Pages: Tanning and foxing
Set against the turbulent backdrop of seventeenth-century Lombardy under Spanish rule, The Betrothed chronicles the harrowing journey of two young peasants, Renzo and Lucia, whose plans to marry are cruelly thwarted by the machinations of a tyrannical local lord. Alessandro Manzoni's masterwork — first published in its final form in 1842 — unfolds across a landscape ravaged by plague, famine, and political corruption, weaving an unforgettable tale of faith, resilience, and the enduring power of love against overwhelming adversity. Translated with elegance and scholarly precision by Archibald Colquhoun, and beautifully illustrated with drawings by Eric Fraser, this Folio Society edition presents the novel in a form worthy of its towering literary stature. Widely regarded as the greatest Italian novel ever written, The Betrothed stands as a cornerstone of European Romantic literature, blending meticulous historical detail with a deeply humane moral vision. Manzoni's prose is at once sweeping and intimate, shifting effortlessly between grand historical panoramas and the quiet anguish of ordinary lives caught in extraordinary circumstances. His nuanced portrayal of Providence, justice, and human frailty continues to resonate across centuries, prompting readers to ask whether virtue can truly triumph in a world governed by power — a question as urgent today as it was in Manzoni's own time.