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أميرة القمح
“The Wheat Princess” is a 1905 novel by American writer Jean Webster. Inspired by the famous case of the Chicago “Wheat King” during the late 1890s, this volume looks at the potential effects of a similar wheat monopoly in Italy, a country that relies heavily on imported wheat to feed its people.
387 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1905
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About the author
Jean Webster
134 books1,070 followersJean Webster (pseudonym for Alice Jane Chandler Webster) was an American writer and author of many books including Daddy-Long-Legs and Dear Enemy. Her most well-known books feature lively and likeable young female protagonists who come of age intellectually, morally, and socially, but with enough humor, snappy dialogue, and gently biting social commentary to make her books palatable and enjoyable to contemporary readers.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 21, 2023
**Featured on the historic fiction podcast The Gibson Girl Review! Listen as my cohosts, Amy Drown & Jacinta Meredith, and I discuss this novel at https://www.gibsongirlreview.com/seas...**
5+ stars (8/10 hearts). I wasn’t sure what to expect of this book—but it sure wasn’t anything that I half-expected, and I love it so, so much.
The first surprise was the setting— 1890s Italy, after the unification and the creation of the kingdom. Definitely not a common setting. I was also intrigued by the genre—a mix of romance, coming-of-age, and adventure. The writing style was typically nineteenth century, reminiscent of Susan Coolidge in simplicity and wholesomeness, but with L.M. Montgomery levels of passion, and wholly Jean Webster-style humour. I was expecting a comedy like Daddy-Long-Legs, but this book ended being much more serious. The romance was small, yet very sweet and dramatic (a definite enemies-to-friends-to-lovers); and I loved how well-balanced the characters are.
I liked Marcia. She was a sweet, impulsive, well-meaning girl, very realistic. I related to her a lot. Sybert was an excellent contrast—just as passionate, yet reserved, serious, yet with plenty of humour. Marcia was dancing sunshine, and Sybert was shadowy evening. Marcia’s uncle was a nice, admirable man, and her aunt a dear; Gerald & Gervasio were adorable and very much real little boys. All the other characters were very vivid and deliciously Italian—or French! And Eleanor was fascinating. I love the characters! They’re all so alive and dramatic and really amazingly well done.
The plot was fascinating. I loved how it mixed travel, slice-of-life, romance, suspense, & adventure, so uniquely it is hard to describe. A young girl lives in Italy with her aunt, uncle, and little cousin. Her father is the American “Wheat King” who bought up all the wheat to sell it, and since Italy is starving because of a failed crop and poor national decisions, she and her family is looked upon with an evil eye by Italians. Soon, a hint that a criminal her uncle had put in jail may be after them sends them to the mountains. Laurence Sybert, the American diplomat’s nephew, often forms her companion, yet she dislikes him because of his propensity to look upon the dark side. Paul Dessart, the French painter, is more to her liking. Yet as she rides about the countryside exploring Italy; rescues an abused orphan boy and mongrel dog; and tours the churches, discussing politics, philosophy, & picturesqueness, the light passion of Paul and the heartfelt passion of Sybert collide, sending her world reeling. Is life really only the beauty & sunshine Paul insists it is, or is Sybert correct in calling it unjust & terrible? Has she lost her chance at winning the man she loves, or will sudden danger reveal the secrets of the heart?
The overall theme of this book seemed to be a call to look beyond the picturesque and see the truth, yet not lose sight of the beauty that abounds in life. It brought up many questions: revolution vs. obedience to government; old-fashioned ways vs. modern technology; religion vs. true knowledge of God; appearances vs. truth; riches vs. poverty; and most of all, character. While I didn’t agree with everything this novel said (the religious/philosophical remarks were sometimes a little iffy), it certainly gave me a lot to think about, and I really appreciated how the author showed both sides of the pictures and didn’t shy away from the hard facts.
Overall, this was a deep, serious book, yet laced with humour and beauty, full of vivid characters against a vibrant setting, and deliciously told. One of my favourite books for sure!
Content: a few instances of mild language; mention of drinking & smoking; none of the characters knew God, although they lived by a moral code; a rather gruesome but brief description of a murdered man; mention of kissing & hugging between engaged couple; M is badly frightened & clings to S; he hugs her and steals a kiss, then scolds himself & apologizes.
A Favourite Quote: ‘The world used to be so much pleasanter to live in before I knew there was any misery in it—I wish I didn’t have to know!’
‘Miss Marcia, I told you the other day that it was a relief sometimes to see people who are thoroughly, irresponsibly happy; who dance over the pit without knowing it’s there. A man who has been in the pit, who knows all its horrors—who feels as if he reeked with them—likes occasionally to see some one who doesn’t even know of its existence. And yet in the end do you think he can thoroughly respect such blindness? Don’t you feel that you are happier in a worthier sense when you look at life with your eyes open; when you honestly take the bad along with the good?’
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: The two men seemed to be diametrically opposed to all their views, and were equally far apart in their methods of arguing. Dessart would lunge into flights of exaggerated rhetoric, piling up adjectives and metaphors until by sheer weight he had carried his listeners off their feet; while Sybert, with a curt phrase, would knock the corner-stone from under the finished edifice.
A Favourite Humorous Quote: Paul’s bad temper was not unbecoming, and he scarcely could have adopted a wiser course. Marcia had expected to find him sparkling, enthusiastic, convincing; and she had come down prepared to withstand his charm. Mais voilà! there was no charm to withstand. He was sullen, moody, with a frown scarcely veiled enough for politeness. Some one had once compared him, not very originally, to a Greek god. He looked it more than ever to-night, if one can imagine a Greek god in the sulks. What was the matter with him, Marcia could only guess. Perhaps, as his cousin had affirmed, he was like a cat and needed stroking the right way of the fur. At any rate, she found the new mood rather taking, and she somewhat weakly allowed herself to stroke him the right way. By the time they rose from the table he was, if not exactly purring, at least not showing his claws.
5+ stars (8/10 hearts). I wasn’t sure what to expect of this book—but it sure wasn’t anything that I half-expected, and I love it so, so much.
The first surprise was the setting— 1890s Italy, after the unification and the creation of the kingdom. Definitely not a common setting. I was also intrigued by the genre—a mix of romance, coming-of-age, and adventure. The writing style was typically nineteenth century, reminiscent of Susan Coolidge in simplicity and wholesomeness, but with L.M. Montgomery levels of passion, and wholly Jean Webster-style humour. I was expecting a comedy like Daddy-Long-Legs, but this book ended being much more serious. The romance was small, yet very sweet and dramatic (a definite enemies-to-friends-to-lovers); and I loved how well-balanced the characters are.
I liked Marcia. She was a sweet, impulsive, well-meaning girl, very realistic. I related to her a lot. Sybert was an excellent contrast—just as passionate, yet reserved, serious, yet with plenty of humour. Marcia was dancing sunshine, and Sybert was shadowy evening. Marcia’s uncle was a nice, admirable man, and her aunt a dear; Gerald & Gervasio were adorable and very much real little boys. All the other characters were very vivid and deliciously Italian—or French! And Eleanor was fascinating. I love the characters! They’re all so alive and dramatic and really amazingly well done.
The plot was fascinating. I loved how it mixed travel, slice-of-life, romance, suspense, & adventure, so uniquely it is hard to describe. A young girl lives in Italy with her aunt, uncle, and little cousin. Her father is the American “Wheat King” who bought up all the wheat to sell it, and since Italy is starving because of a failed crop and poor national decisions, she and her family is looked upon with an evil eye by Italians. Soon, a hint that a criminal her uncle had put in jail may be after them sends them to the mountains. Laurence Sybert, the American diplomat’s nephew, often forms her companion, yet she dislikes him because of his propensity to look upon the dark side. Paul Dessart, the French painter, is more to her liking. Yet as she rides about the countryside exploring Italy; rescues an abused orphan boy and mongrel dog; and tours the churches, discussing politics, philosophy, & picturesqueness, the light passion of Paul and the heartfelt passion of Sybert collide, sending her world reeling. Is life really only the beauty & sunshine Paul insists it is, or is Sybert correct in calling it unjust & terrible? Has she lost her chance at winning the man she loves, or will sudden danger reveal the secrets of the heart?
The overall theme of this book seemed to be a call to look beyond the picturesque and see the truth, yet not lose sight of the beauty that abounds in life. It brought up many questions: revolution vs. obedience to government; old-fashioned ways vs. modern technology; religion vs. true knowledge of God; appearances vs. truth; riches vs. poverty; and most of all, character. While I didn’t agree with everything this novel said (the religious/philosophical remarks were sometimes a little iffy), it certainly gave me a lot to think about, and I really appreciated how the author showed both sides of the pictures and didn’t shy away from the hard facts.
Overall, this was a deep, serious book, yet laced with humour and beauty, full of vivid characters against a vibrant setting, and deliciously told. One of my favourite books for sure!
Content: a few instances of mild language; mention of drinking & smoking; none of the characters knew God, although they lived by a moral code; a rather gruesome but brief description of a murdered man; mention of kissing & hugging between engaged couple; M is badly frightened & clings to S; he hugs her and steals a kiss, then scolds himself & apologizes.
A Favourite Quote: ‘The world used to be so much pleasanter to live in before I knew there was any misery in it—I wish I didn’t have to know!’
‘Miss Marcia, I told you the other day that it was a relief sometimes to see people who are thoroughly, irresponsibly happy; who dance over the pit without knowing it’s there. A man who has been in the pit, who knows all its horrors—who feels as if he reeked with them—likes occasionally to see some one who doesn’t even know of its existence. And yet in the end do you think he can thoroughly respect such blindness? Don’t you feel that you are happier in a worthier sense when you look at life with your eyes open; when you honestly take the bad along with the good?’
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: The two men seemed to be diametrically opposed to all their views, and were equally far apart in their methods of arguing. Dessart would lunge into flights of exaggerated rhetoric, piling up adjectives and metaphors until by sheer weight he had carried his listeners off their feet; while Sybert, with a curt phrase, would knock the corner-stone from under the finished edifice.
A Favourite Humorous Quote: Paul’s bad temper was not unbecoming, and he scarcely could have adopted a wiser course. Marcia had expected to find him sparkling, enthusiastic, convincing; and she had come down prepared to withstand his charm. Mais voilà! there was no charm to withstand. He was sullen, moody, with a frown scarcely veiled enough for politeness. Some one had once compared him, not very originally, to a Greek god. He looked it more than ever to-night, if one can imagine a Greek god in the sulks. What was the matter with him, Marcia could only guess. Perhaps, as his cousin had affirmed, he was like a cat and needed stroking the right way of the fur. At any rate, she found the new mood rather taking, and she somewhat weakly allowed herself to stroke him the right way. By the time they rose from the table he was, if not exactly purring, at least not showing his claws.
June 21, 2020
Se avete amato "Orgoglio e pregiudizio" di Jane Austen, "Cime Tempestose" di Emily Brontë e "Camera con vista" di Edward Morgan Forster, amerete sicuramente anche questo libro. Intenso e romantico, "La Principessa del Grano" ci conferma l’indiscusso talento di Jean Webster, finora nota esclusivamente solo per "Papà Gambalunga" e ci mostra al contempo la scrittrice in una nuova, significativa luce. Un vero tesoro sepolto nel passato, talmente bello che ci si domanda come abbia potuto restare celato al mondo per più di un secolo.
Nel 1901 Jean Webster pubblicò un breve racconto, "Villa Gianini", che venne in seguito ampliato e modificato fino a trasformarsi in un romanzo vero e proprio: "La Principessa del Grano". Pubblicato per la prima volta nel 1905, il libro trae ispirazione dai numerosi viaggi di Jean Webster in Italia, la quale era rimasta nel cuore dell’autrice.
"La Principessa del Grano" è ambientato alla fine dell’Ottocento in Italia, tra Roma, Palestrina e le suggestive colline della Sabina. Nelle sue pagine troveremo una storia d’amore che ci farà emozionare; troveremo un’Italia del passato (con molte affinità con il presente) affascinante, traboccante di sogni e speranze, ma allo stesso tempo turbolenta e instabile perché quelle atmosfere, quegli scenari e quelle persone, colti dagli acuti occhi di Jean e immortalati dalla sua penna, sono realmente esistiti. È un capitolo della storia italiana e come tale farà sempre parte di noi e di ciò che siamo.
Sembra che Jean, rifugiatasi per sei settimane in un convento di suore nei pressi di Palestrina, assieme a sua madre, per dedicarsi in tranquillità alla sua scrittura, sia rimasta particolarmente affascinata da una villa adiacente al convento. Villa Vivalanti, la maestosa e antica dimora de "La Principessa del Grano", incastonata tra le colline della Sabina, assieme alla seducente quanto letale campagna romana, saranno infatti protagonisti del romanzo, assieme a Marcia Copley, Laurence Sybert e Paul Dessart, personaggi indimenticabili e straordinariamente umani, con pregi e difetti, come ciascuno di noi. Non solo le persone, ma anche i luoghi in questa storia hanno una particolare valenza simbolica.
Questo romanzo non merita di ammuffire, solo e dimenticato, in un buio angolo di un polveroso scaffale di una biblioteca: merita di essere letto, sfogliato, respirato, immaginato, vissuto; merita di entrare nelle nostre case e nelle nostre librerie per farci sognare e riflettere. L’Italia finalmente ricambia con passione l’amore che Jean Webster più di un secolo fa le aveva donato.
Nel 1901 Jean Webster pubblicò un breve racconto, "Villa Gianini", che venne in seguito ampliato e modificato fino a trasformarsi in un romanzo vero e proprio: "La Principessa del Grano". Pubblicato per la prima volta nel 1905, il libro trae ispirazione dai numerosi viaggi di Jean Webster in Italia, la quale era rimasta nel cuore dell’autrice.
"La Principessa del Grano" è ambientato alla fine dell’Ottocento in Italia, tra Roma, Palestrina e le suggestive colline della Sabina. Nelle sue pagine troveremo una storia d’amore che ci farà emozionare; troveremo un’Italia del passato (con molte affinità con il presente) affascinante, traboccante di sogni e speranze, ma allo stesso tempo turbolenta e instabile perché quelle atmosfere, quegli scenari e quelle persone, colti dagli acuti occhi di Jean e immortalati dalla sua penna, sono realmente esistiti. È un capitolo della storia italiana e come tale farà sempre parte di noi e di ciò che siamo.
Sembra che Jean, rifugiatasi per sei settimane in un convento di suore nei pressi di Palestrina, assieme a sua madre, per dedicarsi in tranquillità alla sua scrittura, sia rimasta particolarmente affascinata da una villa adiacente al convento. Villa Vivalanti, la maestosa e antica dimora de "La Principessa del Grano", incastonata tra le colline della Sabina, assieme alla seducente quanto letale campagna romana, saranno infatti protagonisti del romanzo, assieme a Marcia Copley, Laurence Sybert e Paul Dessart, personaggi indimenticabili e straordinariamente umani, con pregi e difetti, come ciascuno di noi. Non solo le persone, ma anche i luoghi in questa storia hanno una particolare valenza simbolica.
Questo romanzo non merita di ammuffire, solo e dimenticato, in un buio angolo di un polveroso scaffale di una biblioteca: merita di essere letto, sfogliato, respirato, immaginato, vissuto; merita di entrare nelle nostre case e nelle nostre librerie per farci sognare e riflettere. L’Italia finalmente ricambia con passione l’amore che Jean Webster più di un secolo fa le aveva donato.
November 30, 2019
I liked the heroine and absolutely loathed the hero. What an annoying, condescending (racist, classist too) stuffy little twit. He knows Italy better than those uneducated, lowly Italians? He knows better than Italians what is good for Italy? Oh, sure. Ugh – Marcia deserved so much better; she was young and inexperienced, but she did try to help when she saw a living being in pain, and didn’t get all preachy and self-righteous about it.
The book is set in Italy, but the main characters are rich Americans, who believe themselves racially superior to Italians. The best thing about Italy is that it was once great, and the remains of that greatness are there for Anglo-Saxons to be possessed at will.
“And these poor devils of peasants, who can’t feel anything but their hunger and weariness, lose most of life. They are not even human beings; they are merely beasts of burden, hard-working, patient, unthinking oxen, who go the way they are driven, not dreaming of their strength.”
One could argue that there is a certain kind of pity and benevolence behind this kind of thinking, that neither the creation nor the author are able to move beyond their own limitations, but – I have no patience for this. Especially because these opinions have endured, and are still existing, and only slightly evolving to fit the times.
The story does have some faint charm, but it depends entirely on Marcia’s presence. When Marcia is absent, the reader is stuck with the useless and insufferable diplomatic prick who isn’t above beating a street child because he dared to whistle at a beautiful American heiress. Who didn’t even faint or anything.
Also – there is a significant age gap between the “hero” and the heroine, and the former is getting all excited about teaching her EVERYTHING there is to know about the world, politics, and life. And she is all excited about it too. Sadly, I’m not. I remember that Daddy-Long-Legs (nomen omen) ended on a similar note…
The book is set in Italy, but the main characters are rich Americans, who believe themselves racially superior to Italians. The best thing about Italy is that it was once great, and the remains of that greatness are there for Anglo-Saxons to be possessed at will.
“And these poor devils of peasants, who can’t feel anything but their hunger and weariness, lose most of life. They are not even human beings; they are merely beasts of burden, hard-working, patient, unthinking oxen, who go the way they are driven, not dreaming of their strength.”
One could argue that there is a certain kind of pity and benevolence behind this kind of thinking, that neither the creation nor the author are able to move beyond their own limitations, but – I have no patience for this. Especially because these opinions have endured, and are still existing, and only slightly evolving to fit the times.
The story does have some faint charm, but it depends entirely on Marcia’s presence. When Marcia is absent, the reader is stuck with the useless and insufferable diplomatic prick who isn’t above beating a street child because he dared to whistle at a beautiful American heiress. Who didn’t even faint or anything.
Also – there is a significant age gap between the “hero” and the heroine, and the former is getting all excited about teaching her EVERYTHING there is to know about the world, politics, and life. And she is all excited about it too. Sadly, I’m not. I remember that Daddy-Long-Legs (nomen omen) ended on a similar note…
May 20, 2023
FEATURED on The Gibson Girl Review historic fiction podcast!! Listen at gibsongirlreview.com/season-1-episode-8
Wow. This was a tough book. I really, really wanted to like it! Webster is a great storyteller and crafted many intriguing and memorable characters in this story. And Italy?? Um, YES PLEASE!! But sadly, I was creeped out by and disappointed in the hero, and there are a lot of Webster's eugenicist beliefs oozing through the subtext of this book. Yet that is a great reason to still read this book, because it reminds us that those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. We need to face the hard, unpleasant truths exposed in this story so that we can learn and do better.
Wow. This was a tough book. I really, really wanted to like it! Webster is a great storyteller and crafted many intriguing and memorable characters in this story. And Italy?? Um, YES PLEASE!! But sadly, I was creeped out by and disappointed in the hero, and there are a lot of Webster's eugenicist beliefs oozing through the subtext of this book. Yet that is a great reason to still read this book, because it reminds us that those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. We need to face the hard, unpleasant truths exposed in this story so that we can learn and do better.
October 9, 2019
It's an enjoyable and short novel that I wished it could had some movie adaptation. I perceived it as some mixture of Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" with tinges of Mark Twain's Industrial era in XIX century Italy.
Read
June 16, 2024Because this book was written in 1905, not that far from the time period it was set in, I found the social commentary very interesting, as well as the cultural dynamics of Americans living in Italy, and the internal conflict that comes from living and loving in a country not your own. Sybert does not feel like he can call himself an American, and wrestles with the fact that he is one. Besides cultural displacement, other themes in the book are poverty and wealth, of which I can resonate with too, to a degree. I don't know how accurate the depictions of the Italians are. I have a feeling some things might have been exaggerated, but I know nothing of Italy, now or then.
April 9, 2025
This book is written in a completely different style to J.W.'s usual style in her more popular books. Very weird to think it's the same author.
A big romance set around the civil unrest in Italy and a very predictable plot. But still has the old school charm of the vintage classics.
A big romance set around the civil unrest in Italy and a very predictable plot. But still has the old school charm of the vintage classics.
June 12, 2021
Laurence Sybert is a creepy psycho and nothing can change my mind.
I liked him at first, but then during the last three quarters he firmly earned himself a place in my creeps list.
This isn't something a man should be thinking of the girl he likes, imo.
He had seen in her character undeveloped possibilities—a promise for the future—and the desire had subtly taken hold of him to be the one to watch and direct her growth.
It's not just this. There are many instances where he tries to manipulate Marcia. Not much of a hero, truth be told. Jean Webster keeps insisting that he's such a good man, but it was mostly all tell no show, tbh.
I liked him at first, but then during the last three quarters he firmly earned himself a place in my creeps list.
This isn't something a man should be thinking of the girl he likes, imo.
He had seen in her character undeveloped possibilities—a promise for the future—and the desire had subtly taken hold of him to be the one to watch and direct her growth.
It's not just this. There are many instances where he tries to manipulate Marcia. Not much of a hero, truth be told. Jean Webster keeps insisting that he's such a good man, but it was mostly all tell no show, tbh.
December 23, 2018
This is a slow simmer romance about an heiress who is too self-absorbed and busy living the high life to notice the hunger at her doorstep, or at least, around her. The hero, who is too sensitive to the cause of the starving farmers, judges the heroine as a dimwit moron. On her part, the heroine doesn't hold Sybert in high esteem either.
And this is the whole premise of the book, with big chunks of realism - with poverty, hunger, government apathy and ugliness of class system thrown in. Then, there is also a very visible theme of patriotism threaded through the story.
And this is the whole premise of the book, with big chunks of realism - with poverty, hunger, government apathy and ugliness of class system thrown in. Then, there is also a very visible theme of patriotism threaded through the story.
September 3, 2019
What a surprise! I prepared myself to dislike this book and I ended up loving it. Very engaging writing style, vivid descriptions of the Italian scenery and a beautiful romantic tale. After I finished the book I couldn’t stop singing “That's Amore”.
The librivox narrator was one of the best.
The librivox narrator was one of the best.
Want to read
September 3, 2014Read this book for free through Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/46761/...
April 16, 2022
Yes a bit dated, but mildly amusing and more interesting than expected. I listened to Librivox version read by Celine Major and used Gutenberg text copy to get a handle on names and Italian words.
Want to read
December 22, 2024Found here: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/...
June 21, 2020
Se avete amato "Orgoglio e pregiudizio" di Jane Austen, "Cime Tempestose" di Emily Brontë e "Camera con vista" di Edward Morgan Forster, amerete sicuramente anche questo libro. Intenso e romantico, "La Principessa del Grano" ci conferma l’indiscusso talento di Jean Webster, finora nota esclusivamente solo per "Papà Gambalunga" e ci mostra al contempo la scrittrice in una nuova, significativa luce. Un vero tesoro sepolto nel passato, talmente bello che ci si domanda come abbia potuto restare celato al mondo per più di un secolo.
Nel 1901 Jean Webster pubblicò un breve racconto, "Villa Gianini", che venne in seguito ampliato e modificato fino a trasformarsi in un romanzo vero e proprio: "La Principessa del Grano". Pubblicato per la prima volta nel 1905, il libro trae ispirazione dai numerosi viaggi di Jean Webster in Italia, la quale era rimasta nel cuore dell’autrice.
"La Principessa del Grano" è ambientato alla fine dell’Ottocento in Italia, tra Roma, Palestrina e le suggestive colline della Sabina. Nelle sue pagine troveremo una storia d’amore che ci farà emozionare; troveremo un’Italia del passato (con molte affinità con il presente) affascinante, traboccante di sogni e speranze, ma allo stesso tempo turbolenta e instabile perché quelle atmosfere, quegli scenari e quelle persone, colti dagli acuti occhi di Jean e immortalati dalla sua penna, sono realmente esistiti. È un capitolo della storia italiana e come tale farà sempre parte di noi e di ciò che siamo.
Sembra che Jean, rifugiatasi per sei settimane in un convento di suore nei pressi di Palestrina, assieme a sua madre, per dedicarsi in tranquillità alla sua scrittura, sia rimasta particolarmente affascinata da una villa adiacente al convento. Villa Vivalanti, la maestosa e antica dimora de "La Principessa del Grano", incastonata tra le colline della Sabina, assieme alla seducente quanto letale campagna romana, saranno infatti protagonisti del romanzo, assieme a Marcia Copley, Laurence Sybert e Paul Dessart, personaggi indimenticabili e straordinariamente umani, con pregi e difetti, come ciascuno di noi. Non solo le persone, ma anche i luoghi in questa storia hanno una particolare valenza simbolica.
Questo romanzo non merita di ammuffire, solo e dimenticato, in un buio angolo di un polveroso scaffale di una biblioteca: merita di essere letto, sfogliato, respirato, immaginato, vissuto; merita di entrare nelle nostre case e nelle nostre librerie per farci sognare e riflettere. L’Italia finalmente ricambia con passione l’amore che Jean Webster più di un secolo fa le aveva donato.
Nel 1901 Jean Webster pubblicò un breve racconto, "Villa Gianini", che venne in seguito ampliato e modificato fino a trasformarsi in un romanzo vero e proprio: "La Principessa del Grano". Pubblicato per la prima volta nel 1905, il libro trae ispirazione dai numerosi viaggi di Jean Webster in Italia, la quale era rimasta nel cuore dell’autrice.
"La Principessa del Grano" è ambientato alla fine dell’Ottocento in Italia, tra Roma, Palestrina e le suggestive colline della Sabina. Nelle sue pagine troveremo una storia d’amore che ci farà emozionare; troveremo un’Italia del passato (con molte affinità con il presente) affascinante, traboccante di sogni e speranze, ma allo stesso tempo turbolenta e instabile perché quelle atmosfere, quegli scenari e quelle persone, colti dagli acuti occhi di Jean e immortalati dalla sua penna, sono realmente esistiti. È un capitolo della storia italiana e come tale farà sempre parte di noi e di ciò che siamo.
Sembra che Jean, rifugiatasi per sei settimane in un convento di suore nei pressi di Palestrina, assieme a sua madre, per dedicarsi in tranquillità alla sua scrittura, sia rimasta particolarmente affascinata da una villa adiacente al convento. Villa Vivalanti, la maestosa e antica dimora de "La Principessa del Grano", incastonata tra le colline della Sabina, assieme alla seducente quanto letale campagna romana, saranno infatti protagonisti del romanzo, assieme a Marcia Copley, Laurence Sybert e Paul Dessart, personaggi indimenticabili e straordinariamente umani, con pregi e difetti, come ciascuno di noi. Non solo le persone, ma anche i luoghi in questa storia hanno una particolare valenza simbolica.
Questo romanzo non merita di ammuffire, solo e dimenticato, in un buio angolo di un polveroso scaffale di una biblioteca: merita di essere letto, sfogliato, respirato, immaginato, vissuto; merita di entrare nelle nostre case e nelle nostre librerie per farci sognare e riflettere. L’Italia finalmente ricambia con passione l’amore che Jean Webster più di un secolo fa le aveva donato.
May 3, 2017
Summary: Set in Italy circa 1900. A wealthy heiress goes to Rome with her uncle and his family, and they live like princes while around them Italy starves and political turmoil rages. Two young men compete for the young woman's affections, while she struggles to learn her place in society.
Rating: 3/5. I liked it. The first half of this book delves heavily into the reality of wealth and privilege and what it costs other people. Ordinarily, wealth is treated in (at least light) fiction as a quality without flaw. This book takes care to show that the obscene wealth of the heroine is not without consequence, and that she is directly wealthier by the suffering of those around her. The last half morphs into a love/adventure story, with guns, knives, bandits and kisses. Somehow, the two very different parts of the story coexist harmoniously. In effect, it's an adventure novel through and through, but the first half deals with an intellectual adventure, and when the heroine has solved that particular plot, the writer takes her off on a physical adventure. I might have made it sound heavier than it is. It's a fairly light, easy read, with occasionally thought-provoking patches of dialogue and some lovely descriptions of Italian Scenery. I preferred the intellectual and emotional drama of the first half to the rather tired bandits and bloodshed of the second.
Rating: 3/5. I liked it. The first half of this book delves heavily into the reality of wealth and privilege and what it costs other people. Ordinarily, wealth is treated in (at least light) fiction as a quality without flaw. This book takes care to show that the obscene wealth of the heroine is not without consequence, and that she is directly wealthier by the suffering of those around her. The last half morphs into a love/adventure story, with guns, knives, bandits and kisses. Somehow, the two very different parts of the story coexist harmoniously. In effect, it's an adventure novel through and through, but the first half deals with an intellectual adventure, and when the heroine has solved that particular plot, the writer takes her off on a physical adventure. I might have made it sound heavier than it is. It's a fairly light, easy read, with occasionally thought-provoking patches of dialogue and some lovely descriptions of Italian Scenery. I preferred the intellectual and emotional drama of the first half to the rather tired bandits and bloodshed of the second.
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