المدينة الخالدة

by Hall Caine

قصة حب وتضحية عن مدينة روما بقلم الكاتب الإنجليزي السير هول كين.

Genres: Classics, Historical Fiction, Fiction

110 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1902

About the author

Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine CH, KBE (1853-1931), usually known as Hall Caine, was an English author. He is best known as a novelist and playwright of the late Victorian and the Edwardian eras. In his time he was exceedingly popular and at the peak of his success his novels outsold those of his contemporaries. His novels were primarily romantic in nature, involving the love triangle, but they did also address some of the more serious political and social issues of the day. Caine acted as secretary to Dante Gabriel Rossetti and at one time he aspired to become a man of letters. To this end he published a number of serious works but these had little success. A man of striking appearance, he travelled widely and used his travels to provide the settings for some of his novels. He came into contact with, and was influenced by, many of the leading personalities of the day. His best known works include: The Shadow of a Crime (1885), The Bondman (1890), The Scapegoat (1890), The Prodigal Son (1904), The White Prophet (1909) and The Woman Thou Gavest Me (1913).

Reviews

[Mike Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard and read much about this book over the years and finally decided to experience it myself. I'm very glad I did. While this is indeed a love story the the real lesson is an undying commitment to a cause of social justice. The people who pioneered the Soka Gakkai, an international organization dedicated to peace , culture and education studied this book in their youth. David Rossi's commitment to his cause was one element in their own determination to stand up for justice even in the face of the authoritarian pressure of a militarist government. The courage David Rossi exhibits is a requirement for never giving up.

[Baher Shehab Eldeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"في ميدان الحب، يربح الهارب!"
الجملة التي تجذب انتباهك بين السطور.. وسرعان ما يدحضها الكاتب من خلال الأحداث التى تجذبك وتجعلك لا تترك الرواية من بين يديك إلا وقد انتهيت منها، إنها قصة الحب والتضحية، قصة الوعي وتزييف الوعي، تعرضت للتاريخ والصراع القائم بين السلطة العسكرية والدينية وكفاح الشعب أن يحكم نفسه بنفسه من خلال التنقل بين شخوص الرواية، الأسلوب سهل وواضج والترجمة أكثر من رائعة!

[Lora Shouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kind of disappointed in this book. Not that it is a bad book, by any means. But the line I was expecting, and that I was reading the book to try to understand, just was not there.

In the preface to the book, the author indicates that there are actually two widely differing versions of the book. In the first published version, he says, a lot of political and religious commentary overlay the love story that was the foundation of the book. But the version we are dealing with here was requested to accompany the play that was made from the core story. In it, much of the politics and religion has been cut away. That, I suspect, is what has happened to the line I was looking for.

Anyway, the author points out that the story is primarily about a woman who betrays her husband to save his life. The way I see it, it’s more like she was coerced and frightened into betraying him.

Roma is an orphan and the ward of a certain Baron Bonelli who is, or is about to become, Prime Minister of Italy. David Rossi is a member of parliament who is a populist, being in favor of the fair treatment of people. The Baron can’t stand him, and sets out to ruin him.

It happens that he has spoken out against Roma, though not by name, as someone who has an inordinate amount of influence in the government, and she takes offense at that and vows to bring him down. The baron is pleased to let her do just that.

But she doesn’t realize that David Rossi is her long-lost almost-brother. As she brings him into her circle to ruin him, they each discover who the other is, and renew and expand their old love. Roma is sorry she ever set out to ruin him. Eventually, she gets David to marry her so she can’t be forced to testify against him, because, apparently, he is already under sentence of death for working with her father earlier. But the baron seems to have unlimited ways to pressure Roma into doing what he wants in spite of all her resolve.

A lot of bad happens because of the baron’s manipulations, but in the end, even he doesn’t get everything his own way after all.

[Alok · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, the aim has been to rely solely on the humanities and the comradeship and to go back to the simple story of the woman who denounced her husband in order to save his life. It’s a story of Revolutionary who fought against corrupt authorities to save the people from the misery. It’s a story of comradeship where one gave life for another comrade with the belief that his friend never betrayed him. It’s a story of a passionate love and sacrifice between husband and wife, where wife understood her husband responsibility and duties towards the people.

[Nobumasa Hiroi · Rating 5 out of 5]

inspirational. Entertaining and encouraging. David Rossi is my hero.

[Keithie Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting story about a revolutionary man in Italy in the 1900s. Written in 1902 doesn’t distract from the story. And a love story too.

[W L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book may be a little hard to come by in Singapore. Back then, the only publicly available copy was the one in the NUS main library.

It starts out a little slowly, but eventually builds to a timeless tour de force.

[khaled · Rating 4 out of 5]

من أكثر الروايات اللى عجبتنى يمكن علشان القصه الثوريه والرومانسيه الجميله اللى شوقتنى ليها
صديق ديفيد روسى اللى ضحى بنفسه فى المحكمه لما كانو بيشككوا فى صديقه وبيخونه وتضحيات روما وانها تتحبس مكان حببها الا ان ماتت قصة حب وتضحيه اكثر من رائعه

[Flora]

I can't wait to read this!!

[Snufkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly beautiful novel, with many tissues needed towards the end! A wonderful tale of the fight for justice in society, and the happiness of the people, against all the odds.