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Signa: A Story
Ouida was the pseudonym of the English novelist Maria Louise Ramé (although she preferred to be known as Marie Louise de la Ramée).
During her career, she wrote more than 40 novels, children's books and collections of short stories and essays. She was an animal lover and rescuer, and at times owned as many as thirty dogs. For many years she lived in London, but about 1874 she moved to Italy, where she remained until her death in 1908.
Ouida's work had several successive phases during her career. Her first novel, Held in Bondage was published in 1863, when she was 24. In her early period, her novels were considered "racy" and "swashbuckling", a contrast to "the moralistic prose of early Victorian literature" (Tom Steele) comprising a hybrid of the sensationalism of the 1860s and the proto-adventure novels that were being published in part as a romanticisation of imperial expansion. Later her work was more typically historical romance, though she never stopped comment on contemporary society. She also wrote several stories for children.
One of her most famous novels, Under Two Flags, described the British in Algeria and expressed sympathy for the French—with whom Ouida deeply identified—and, to some extent, the Arabs. This book was adapted in plays (it was also adapted and produced four times as a film). As another sign of influence, the American author Jack London cited her novel Signa, which he read at age eight, as one of the eight reasons for his literary success.
During her career, she wrote more than 40 novels, children's books and collections of short stories and essays. She was an animal lover and rescuer, and at times owned as many as thirty dogs. For many years she lived in London, but about 1874 she moved to Italy, where she remained until her death in 1908.
Ouida's work had several successive phases during her career. Her first novel, Held in Bondage was published in 1863, when she was 24. In her early period, her novels were considered "racy" and "swashbuckling", a contrast to "the moralistic prose of early Victorian literature" (Tom Steele) comprising a hybrid of the sensationalism of the 1860s and the proto-adventure novels that were being published in part as a romanticisation of imperial expansion. Later her work was more typically historical romance, though she never stopped comment on contemporary society. She also wrote several stories for children.
One of her most famous novels, Under Two Flags, described the British in Algeria and expressed sympathy for the French—with whom Ouida deeply identified—and, to some extent, the Arabs. This book was adapted in plays (it was also adapted and produced four times as a film). As another sign of influence, the American author Jack London cited her novel Signa, which he read at age eight, as one of the eight reasons for his literary success.
514 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1889
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167 people want to read
About the author
Ouida
471 books56 followersOuida was the pen name of the English novelist Maria Louise Ramé (although she preferred to be known as Marie Louise de la Ramée).
During her career, she wrote more than 40 novels, children's books and collections of short stories and essays. She was an animal rights activist and animal rescuer, and at times owned as many as thirty dogs. For many years she lived in London, but about 1874 she went to Italy, where she died.
Ouida's work went through several phases during her career. In her early period, her novels were a hybrid of the sensationalism of the 1860s and the proto-adventure novels dubbed "muscular fiction" that were emerging in part as a romanticization of imperial expansion. Later her work was more along the lines of historical romance, though she never stopped comment on contemporary society. She also wrote several stories for children. One of her most famous novels, Under Two Flags, described the British in Algeria in the most extravagant of terms, while nonetheless also expressing sympathy for the Frenchwith whom Ouida deeply identifiedand, to some extent, the Arabs. This book went on to be staged in plays, and subsequently to be turned into at least three movies, transitioning Ouida in the 20th century.
Jack London cites her novel Signa, which describes an unschooled Italian peasant child who achieves fame as an opera composer, and which he read at age eight, as one of the eight reasons for his literary success.
During her career, she wrote more than 40 novels, children's books and collections of short stories and essays. She was an animal rights activist and animal rescuer, and at times owned as many as thirty dogs. For many years she lived in London, but about 1874 she went to Italy, where she died.
Ouida's work went through several phases during her career. In her early period, her novels were a hybrid of the sensationalism of the 1860s and the proto-adventure novels dubbed "muscular fiction" that were emerging in part as a romanticization of imperial expansion. Later her work was more along the lines of historical romance, though she never stopped comment on contemporary society. She also wrote several stories for children. One of her most famous novels, Under Two Flags, described the British in Algeria in the most extravagant of terms, while nonetheless also expressing sympathy for the Frenchwith whom Ouida deeply identifiedand, to some extent, the Arabs. This book went on to be staged in plays, and subsequently to be turned into at least three movies, transitioning Ouida in the 20th century.
Jack London cites her novel Signa, which describes an unschooled Italian peasant child who achieves fame as an opera composer, and which he read at age eight, as one of the eight reasons for his literary success.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 25, 2014
WOW...
This is an amazing book. I can't do it justice or even put into words how good it is.
As the title suggests, this is a story of Signa, an illigitimate orphan boy who is saved from death during a flood when he is about one year old. His two uncles find him clinging to the breast of his dead mother, and, afraid that the villagers might accuse the two brothers of murder, (its a long story), they let the floodwaters take her body away and tell everyone they found the unknown baby alone in the field.
The boy is raised by his Uncle Lippo's family who mistreat him. But bruises can do no lasting harm to Signa for his head is in the clouds where the very angels whisper sweet music to him. He hears it in the wind, in the rustling apricot trees, the grapevines and the hills.
While singing his songs or playing his lute he is content. Then one day he sees an old violin for sale in a shop window and asks to hold it ....
Call him a protege, a genius, an artist, it makes no difference; for music is the very lifeblood and soul of Signa. But his kind uncle Bruno is deaf to Signa's genius. To him it is merely child's play and so Bruno slaves for nine years, building Signa a future there in the Tuscan hills, farming. When Signa kindly rejects his uncle's plans for him, Bruno stomps on Signa's prized violin, destroying it.
There is so much more to this story. There are his childhood playmates, one kind and good peasant girl named Palma and her beautiful but selfish sister Gemma (whom Signa loves). Palma grows up, slaving for her father and idle brothers, never complaining, while Gemma runs away at age 10, seeking a life of luxury ...
The story covers about 25 years so you learn what comes of all these characters and how their lives intertwine for good and for bad as well as the extremely high cost of fame.
In many ways this book feels like an opera put into novel form and has an almost tragic fairytale cadence. Its beautifully poetic and emotive and while it doesn't neccesarily have a HEA, the story had some surprising twists and turns that were brilliantly thought out and I was ultimately satisfied. It really could only have ended in the way it did. Its opera, afterall.
And I love it.
Recommended for lovers of chunky, old fashioned, flowery, melodramatic reads.
* Signa is available for free on Openlibrary but I suggest paying the $2.99 for this particular version on Amazon. The Openlibrary epub version is so riddled with typos it is almost unreadable.
If buying the antique book (have fun with that!) be careful you're buying the complete 512 page book as it was often split into three volumes.
This is an amazing book. I can't do it justice or even put into words how good it is.
As the title suggests, this is a story of Signa, an illigitimate orphan boy who is saved from death during a flood when he is about one year old. His two uncles find him clinging to the breast of his dead mother, and, afraid that the villagers might accuse the two brothers of murder, (its a long story), they let the floodwaters take her body away and tell everyone they found the unknown baby alone in the field.
The boy is raised by his Uncle Lippo's family who mistreat him. But bruises can do no lasting harm to Signa for his head is in the clouds where the very angels whisper sweet music to him. He hears it in the wind, in the rustling apricot trees, the grapevines and the hills.
While singing his songs or playing his lute he is content. Then one day he sees an old violin for sale in a shop window and asks to hold it ....
Call him a protege, a genius, an artist, it makes no difference; for music is the very lifeblood and soul of Signa. But his kind uncle Bruno is deaf to Signa's genius. To him it is merely child's play and so Bruno slaves for nine years, building Signa a future there in the Tuscan hills, farming. When Signa kindly rejects his uncle's plans for him, Bruno stomps on Signa's prized violin, destroying it.
There is so much more to this story. There are his childhood playmates, one kind and good peasant girl named Palma and her beautiful but selfish sister Gemma (whom Signa loves). Palma grows up, slaving for her father and idle brothers, never complaining, while Gemma runs away at age 10, seeking a life of luxury ...
The story covers about 25 years so you learn what comes of all these characters and how their lives intertwine for good and for bad as well as the extremely high cost of fame.
In many ways this book feels like an opera put into novel form and has an almost tragic fairytale cadence. Its beautifully poetic and emotive and while it doesn't neccesarily have a HEA, the story had some surprising twists and turns that were brilliantly thought out and I was ultimately satisfied. It really could only have ended in the way it did. Its opera, afterall.
And I love it.
Recommended for lovers of chunky, old fashioned, flowery, melodramatic reads.
* Signa is available for free on Openlibrary but I suggest paying the $2.99 for this particular version on Amazon. The Openlibrary epub version is so riddled with typos it is almost unreadable.
If buying the antique book (have fun with that!) be careful you're buying the complete 512 page book as it was often split into three volumes.
Want to Read
January 2, 2016Jack London cites her novel Signa, which describes an unschooled Italian peasant child who achieves fame as an opera composer, and which he read at age eight, as one of the eight reasons for his literary success.
Free download available at UPenn-HathiTrust
Another good book to be proofread for Project Gutenberg.
Free download available at UPenn-HathiTrust
Another good book to be proofread for Project Gutenberg.
amazon-wishlist
September 5, 2013Jack London: 'I consider the great factors of my literary success to be: Vast good luck. Good health; good brain; good mental and muscular correlation. Poverty. Reading Ouida's 'Signa' when I was eight years of age....' http://www.calliopewriters.org/Issue_... Well, that's fascinating. Of course it's the ONE BOOK by her Gutenberg doesn't have, hi ho, off to archive.org, altho their Kindle versions of books are truly sketchy.
March 11, 2024
I read a lot of books. Most of the books I read are from authors long dead. Authors moldering in their graves for decades or even centuries. Their voices muted but not wholly extinguished. One of these authors of yore was a prolific writer in the late 19th century. Maria Louise Ramé AKA 'Ouida' as she preferred to be called, was the author of numerous novels and short stories. I was familiar with a few of her stories. When I was a young boy, I read A Dog of Flanders. I had almost forgotten about her and indeed it had been many years since the name 'Ouida' had even crossed my mind. It came back to me when I came across her once again while reading about one of my favorite writers, Jack London. I have read a good portion of London's work and read that one of the reasons he decided to become a writer was after reading Ouida's book Signa. I had never heard of this book, but since London thought it was such a great novel, I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed!
Signa was published in 1875 while Ouida was living in Italy. It tells the tale of a young genius named Signa who listens to the sounds of nature and sings at the country church. Signa plays the lute and has a melodious voice. Though he is a peasant, he is unlike the other young people in the town. He cares nothing about toiling the land. He would rather sing with the birds and dream of the music that forms in his head. He lives with his opportunistic uncle, Lippo and his wicked aunt Nita who thrash and abuse him on a daily basis. Signa seems to accept his lot in life until one day he sees a violin in a shop window and becomes obsessed in obtaining it.
Signa's origins are unknown to him. At a year old, he is found by his uncle's Bruno and Lippo during a flood next to his dead mother, Pippa who had tragically fell to her death off a cliff. Lippo, of course, is married and has a brood of children while his older brother, Bruno lives alone on a hillside farm, sulking in misery, years after the death of the woman he once loved. Most of Signa's life is harsh and brutal except for the time he spends with his uncle Bruno who makes it his life's quest to do right by the boy. Bruno is a solitary man who spends his days working the farm and doting on the boy who becomes a sort of obsession to him. Bruno lives for Signa, but Signa lives for his music.
Signa is also friends with Palma and Gemma, two sisters who live in the village. Palma is a plain hardworking girl and who secretly loves Signa, but the boy's affections are directed at the selfish and beautiful Gemma who makes him do things (like stealing) that are otherwise foreign to his character. One day, Bruno takes Signa to the city where a painter hears the boy sing and paints his picture, telling him that one day he will be famous. He gives Signa the money that he needs to buy the violin that he has longed to possess. However, when Lippo and Nita find out that he has spent the money on what they consider a toy, they are furious. Nita attempts to beat Signa but the boy finally fights back and injures Nita who swears revenge. Signa knows that if Bruno finds out that Lippo and Nita have been beating him that Bruno will kill his brother. In order to protect Bruno, Signa runs away, taking the opportunistic Gemma with him. Bruno finds out that Signa has gone and is devastated. He goes after them and eventually finds them about to embark on an ocean voyage under the insidious enticement of a scoundrel that uses children for his own monetary benefit. Signa willingly returns with Bruno as long as he promises to not hurt Lippo. Bruno then shelters the boy from his brother and as the years roll on Signa becomes restless. After an argument with Bruno, the man destroys his beloved violin in an act of rage. Bruno almost immediately regrets what he did and makes up for it by sending the boy to study music in the city. Eventually, Signa becomes famous for his operas. His travels back to Bruno and the farm become less frequent. The ending is a classic tragedy in the vein of a Shakespeare play.
The novel is written in a stylish prose that was common for the time but this in no way takes away from the story. In fact, it is the descriptive scenes of peasant life and nature that add to the novel's mystique. The character development in this book is beyond exceptional, especially Bruno who carries the novel and is one of the great personas of literature. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and rank it as one of the best books that I have ever read. It ranks up there in my estimation with Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge and Daphne Du Maurier's Jamaica Inn as one of my favorite novels. It is hard to believe that this timeless book is almost forgotten today. In fact, there are very few reviews of Signa that I can find online. If you get a chance give it a try.
Signa was published in 1875 while Ouida was living in Italy. It tells the tale of a young genius named Signa who listens to the sounds of nature and sings at the country church. Signa plays the lute and has a melodious voice. Though he is a peasant, he is unlike the other young people in the town. He cares nothing about toiling the land. He would rather sing with the birds and dream of the music that forms in his head. He lives with his opportunistic uncle, Lippo and his wicked aunt Nita who thrash and abuse him on a daily basis. Signa seems to accept his lot in life until one day he sees a violin in a shop window and becomes obsessed in obtaining it.
Signa's origins are unknown to him. At a year old, he is found by his uncle's Bruno and Lippo during a flood next to his dead mother, Pippa who had tragically fell to her death off a cliff. Lippo, of course, is married and has a brood of children while his older brother, Bruno lives alone on a hillside farm, sulking in misery, years after the death of the woman he once loved. Most of Signa's life is harsh and brutal except for the time he spends with his uncle Bruno who makes it his life's quest to do right by the boy. Bruno is a solitary man who spends his days working the farm and doting on the boy who becomes a sort of obsession to him. Bruno lives for Signa, but Signa lives for his music.
Signa is also friends with Palma and Gemma, two sisters who live in the village. Palma is a plain hardworking girl and who secretly loves Signa, but the boy's affections are directed at the selfish and beautiful Gemma who makes him do things (like stealing) that are otherwise foreign to his character. One day, Bruno takes Signa to the city where a painter hears the boy sing and paints his picture, telling him that one day he will be famous. He gives Signa the money that he needs to buy the violin that he has longed to possess. However, when Lippo and Nita find out that he has spent the money on what they consider a toy, they are furious. Nita attempts to beat Signa but the boy finally fights back and injures Nita who swears revenge. Signa knows that if Bruno finds out that Lippo and Nita have been beating him that Bruno will kill his brother. In order to protect Bruno, Signa runs away, taking the opportunistic Gemma with him. Bruno finds out that Signa has gone and is devastated. He goes after them and eventually finds them about to embark on an ocean voyage under the insidious enticement of a scoundrel that uses children for his own monetary benefit. Signa willingly returns with Bruno as long as he promises to not hurt Lippo. Bruno then shelters the boy from his brother and as the years roll on Signa becomes restless. After an argument with Bruno, the man destroys his beloved violin in an act of rage. Bruno almost immediately regrets what he did and makes up for it by sending the boy to study music in the city. Eventually, Signa becomes famous for his operas. His travels back to Bruno and the farm become less frequent. The ending is a classic tragedy in the vein of a Shakespeare play.
The novel is written in a stylish prose that was common for the time but this in no way takes away from the story. In fact, it is the descriptive scenes of peasant life and nature that add to the novel's mystique. The character development in this book is beyond exceptional, especially Bruno who carries the novel and is one of the great personas of literature. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and rank it as one of the best books that I have ever read. It ranks up there in my estimation with Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge and Daphne Du Maurier's Jamaica Inn as one of my favorite novels. It is hard to believe that this timeless book is almost forgotten today. In fact, there are very few reviews of Signa that I can find online. If you get a chance give it a try.
May 26, 2021
Heartbreaking and beautiful characters in the setting of the gorgeous Italian countryside.
Fun fact - this is the book Jack London credits for inspiring him to become a writer.
Fun fact - this is the book Jack London credits for inspiring him to become a writer.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews