Author Description
'any narrative of human action and adventure - whether we call it history or Romance - is certain to be a fragile handiwork, more easily rent than mended' The fragility - and the durability - of human life and art dominate this story of American expatriates in Italy in the mid-nineteenth century. Befriended by Donatello, a young Italian with the classical grace of the 'Marble Faun', Miriam, Hilda, and Kenyon find their pursuit of art taking a sinister turn as Miriam's unhappy past precipitates the present into tragedy. Hawthorne's 'International Novel' dramatizes the confrontation of the Old World and the New and the uncertain relationship between the 'authentic' and the 'fake', in life as in art. The author's evocative descriptions of classic sites made The Marble Faun a favourite guidebook to Rome for Victorian tourists, but this richly ambiguous symbolic romance is also the story of a murder, and a parable of the Fall of Man. As the characters find their civilized existence disrupted by the awful consequences of impulse, Hawthorne leads his readers to question the value of Art and Culture and addresses the great evolutionary debate which was beginning to shake Victorian society. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
A murder committed by a young Italian nobleman shatters the idyllic lives of four American expatriates living in Rome. Miriam, Hilda, and Kenyon, three artists residing in Italy, find their lives inextricably linked to Donatello, a man whose physical resemblance to a classical statue masks a complex moral awakening. As Miriam’s dark history resurfaces, the group is forced to confront the consequences of a sudden, violent act that disrupts their pursuit of aesthetic beauty. The narrative functions as a symbolic exploration of innocence and experience, utilizing a third-person perspective to examine the psychological shifts within the characters as they navigate the tension between the Old World and the New.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- Symbolic representation of the Fall of Man
- Detailed, evocative descriptions of Roman architecture and art
- Exploration of the dichotomy between innocence and guilt
- Integration of psychological realism with allegorical elements
- Examination of the cultural friction between American and European values
- Use of the 'Marble Faun' statue as a central motif
- Focus on the transformative power of sin and suffering
- Atmospheric setting within the ruins and galleries of nineteenth-century Italy
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
Readers and critics frequently note the atmospheric density of the prose, which serves as both a narrative device and a guide to the historical landscape of Rome. Discussion often centers on the ambiguity of the central crime and how it functions as a catalyst for the characters' moral development. Many highlight the balance between the novel's function as a travelogue and its deeper philosophical inquiries into the nature of human evolution and original sin. The work is often examined for its complex symbolism, with scholars pointing to the interplay between art and reality as a primary thematic thread. Readers who appreciate slow-paced, introspective narratives will find the focus on character interiority and setting particularly engaging.
Page Count:
429
Publication Date:
2002-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191611298
ISBN-13:
9780191611292
Romance
Fiction psychological
Psychological
English
Artists fiction
Crime fiction
Gothic
English & College Success
Rome Italy
Historical
classic
Philosophical
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