
An Unscrupulous Critic, Determined To Get His Hands On The Private Papers Of A Great Poet, Finds Himself Duelling With The Grim Old Lady Who Was Once The Poet's Mistress And Muse. Aspern's Lost World Of Beauty And Romance Still Seems To Hand In The Glamorous Air Of Venice, But The Price Of Admission Turns Out To Involve Another Party, The Old Woman's Unmagical Niece. What Exactly Is Aspern's Admirer Prepared To Pay? In The Other Stories Collected Here - 'the Private Life', 'the Middle Years', And 'the Death Of The Lion' - The Elusive Figure Of The Writer Again Arouses Passions Of Pursuit And D.
A manipulative critic attempts to secure the private correspondence of a deceased poet by infiltrating the home of the poet's former muse. The protagonist, driven by professional obsession and intellectual vanity, navigates the decaying grandeur of a Venetian palazzo to extract secrets from an elderly woman and her sheltered niece. His objective is thwarted by the guarded nature of the inhabitants and the moral ambiguity of his own methods. The narrative, presented through a first-person perspective, emphasizes the psychological tension between the observer and the observed within a claustrophobic, atmospheric setting.
Readers frequently highlight the precision of the prose and the psychological depth of the characters. Discussion often centers on the moral failings of the narrator and the ethical implications of his pursuit of the poet's legacy. Critics observe that the atmosphere of Venice serves as a mirror for the decay and secrecy inherent in the plot. The collection is noted for its consistent focus on the lives of writers and the public's fascination with their private affairs. Many find the pacing deliberate, favoring character study over rapid plot progression.
Page Count:
257
Publication Date:
2009-01-01
ISBN-10:
019164675X
ISBN-13:
9780191646751
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