Refined and The Last Letters of Jacopo Ortis (Alma Classics)

Disillusioned with life and racked with loneliness and ennui, university student Jacopo Ortis finds comfort only in the company of his friends and in his love for Teresa. Saddened by the subjugation of Italy under Napoleon, Jacopo's torments become unbearable when his studies call him back to Padua and he is separated from her. He feels that there is only one way out of his misery – a symbolic gesture against fate, God and all the tyrants of this world.

Based on the tragic real-life story of the Italian student Girolamo Ortis and suffused with the author's own experiences, Last Letters of Jacopo Ortis is a masterly prose work by one of Italy's most celebrated poets, and perhaps the greatest Italian novel of the Romantic period. The novel tells the tale of Jacopo Ortis, a university student whose life is shrouded in melancholy and disillusionment. Disillusioned with the state of the world and his own personal circumstances, Jacopo finds solace in the companionship of his friends and the love he shares with Teresa.

However, when Jacopo is forced to return to Padua to continue his studies, he is torn away from Teresa, and his anguish becomes too much to bear. Plagued by feelings of loneliness and hopelessness, Jacopo comes to the conclusion that there is only one way to escape his torment – a symbolic act of defiance against the forces that have conspired to bring him such misery.

The novel's exploration of Jacopo's inner turmoil and his ultimate descent into despair is a powerful testament to the author's skill as a writer. The narrative is imbued with a sense of tragedy and a deep understanding of the human condition, as Jacopo's story becomes a metaphor for the struggle of the individual against the oppressive forces of society and fate.

Through the lens of Jacopo's personal journey, the novel also reflects the broader political and social upheaval of the time, as Italy grappled with the aftermath of Napoleonic rule. The author's own experiences and disillusionment with the state of the nation are woven into the fabric of the narrative, lending it an authenticity and emotional depth that resonates with readers.

In the end, Last Letters of Jacopo Ortis stands as a remarkable work of Italian Romantic literature, a poignant and powerful exploration of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Its enduring legacy as one of the greatest novels of the period is a testament to the author's skill and the timeless nature of the themes it explores.

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