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Roman Fever and The Letter / Fièvre romaine et La Lettre
Les deux nouvelles de ce volume se déroulent dans l’Italie qui captivait Edith Wharton. Dans Fièvre romaine, les aventures des jeunes Barbara et Jenny projettent une lumière inquiétante sur la relation que leurs mères, aujourd’hui veuves, entretinrent vingt-cinq ans plus tôt. Pression sociale, jalousies, concurrence féminine et hypocrisie y sont avant tout des symptômes du poids que le passé exerce sur le présent. La nouvelle suivante, La Lettre, témoigne de la fascination qu’avait Wharton pour l’histoire de l’Italie. Une histoire d’amour, de famille et de patriotisme prend corps, avec comme toile de fond les événements qui ont secoué – et construit – l’Italie tout au long du XIXe siècle.
- GenresShort Stories
79 pages, Paperback with Audio CD
First published January 1, 1904
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16 people want to read
About the author
Edith Wharton
1,462 books5,290 followersEdith Wharton emerged as one of America’s most insightful novelists, deftly exposing the tensions between societal expectation and personal desire through her vivid portrayals of upper-class life. Drawing from her deep familiarity with New York’s privileged “aristocracy,” she offered readers a keenly observed and piercingly honest vision of Gilded Age society.
Her work reached a milestone when she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, awarded for The Age of Innocence. This novel highlights the constraining rituals of 1870s New York society and remains a defining portrait of elegance laced with regret.
Wharton’s literary achievements span a wide canvas. The House of Mirth presents a tragic, vividly drawn character study of Lily Bart, navigating social expectations and the perils of genteel poverty in 1890s New York. In Ethan Frome, she explores rural hardship and emotional repression, contrasting sharply with her urban social dramas.
Her novella collection Old New York revisits the moral terrain of upper-class society, spanning decades and combining character studies with social commentary. Through these stories, she inevitably points back to themes and settings familiar from The Age of Innocence. Continuing her exploration of class and desire, The Glimpses of the Moon addresses marriage and social mobility in early 20th-century America. And in Summer, Wharton challenges societal norms with its rural setting and themes of sexual awakening and social inequality.
Beyond fiction, Wharton contributed compelling nonfiction and travel writing. The Decoration of Houses reflects her eye for design and architecture; Fighting France: From Dunkerque to Belfort presents a compelling account of her wartime observations. As editor of The Book of the Homeless, she curated a moving, international collaboration in support of war refugees.
Wharton’s influence extended beyond writing. She designed her own country estate, The Mount, a testament to her architectural sensibility and aesthetic vision. The Mount now stands as an educational museum celebrating her legacy.
Throughout her career, Wharton maintained friendships and artistic exchanges with luminaries such as Henry James, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Theodore Roosevelt—reflecting her status as a respected and connected cultural figure.
Her literary legacy also includes multiple Nobel Prize nominations, underscoring her international recognition. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature more than once.
In sum, Edith Wharton remains celebrated for her unflinching, elegant prose, her psychological acuity, and her capacity to illuminate the unspoken constraints of society—from the glittering ballrooms of New York to quieter, more remote settings. Her wide-ranging work—novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, travel writing, essays—offers cultural insight, enduring emotional depth, and a piercing critique of the customs she both inhabited and dissected.
Her work reached a milestone when she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, awarded for The Age of Innocence. This novel highlights the constraining rituals of 1870s New York society and remains a defining portrait of elegance laced with regret.
Wharton’s literary achievements span a wide canvas. The House of Mirth presents a tragic, vividly drawn character study of Lily Bart, navigating social expectations and the perils of genteel poverty in 1890s New York. In Ethan Frome, she explores rural hardship and emotional repression, contrasting sharply with her urban social dramas.
Her novella collection Old New York revisits the moral terrain of upper-class society, spanning decades and combining character studies with social commentary. Through these stories, she inevitably points back to themes and settings familiar from The Age of Innocence. Continuing her exploration of class and desire, The Glimpses of the Moon addresses marriage and social mobility in early 20th-century America. And in Summer, Wharton challenges societal norms with its rural setting and themes of sexual awakening and social inequality.
Beyond fiction, Wharton contributed compelling nonfiction and travel writing. The Decoration of Houses reflects her eye for design and architecture; Fighting France: From Dunkerque to Belfort presents a compelling account of her wartime observations. As editor of The Book of the Homeless, she curated a moving, international collaboration in support of war refugees.
Wharton’s influence extended beyond writing. She designed her own country estate, The Mount, a testament to her architectural sensibility and aesthetic vision. The Mount now stands as an educational museum celebrating her legacy.
Throughout her career, Wharton maintained friendships and artistic exchanges with luminaries such as Henry James, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Theodore Roosevelt—reflecting her status as a respected and connected cultural figure.
Her literary legacy also includes multiple Nobel Prize nominations, underscoring her international recognition. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature more than once.
In sum, Edith Wharton remains celebrated for her unflinching, elegant prose, her psychological acuity, and her capacity to illuminate the unspoken constraints of society—from the glittering ballrooms of New York to quieter, more remote settings. Her wide-ranging work—novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, travel writing, essays—offers cultural insight, enduring emotional depth, and a piercing critique of the customs she both inhabited and dissected.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 7, 2024
Si es que las mujeres somos rencorosas hasta decir basta. Que forma de guardarse las cosas durante 25 años para, dicho feo, abrir el cajón de m***** así, porque sí.
Me ha parecido hasta divertido. La manera en que se enfrentan (bueno, una de ellas más bien) me ha hecho gracia la verdad, y el momento "zasca" ha sido para devir "si señora, ahí los has tenido bien puestos y la has dejado con la boquita birn cerrada"!
Leído y comentado con el grupo de chicas fabulosas de #clasicosflash y que os recomiendo de verdad que visiteis sus perfiles porque tienen unas reseñas estupendas!
Me ha parecido hasta divertido. La manera en que se enfrentan (bueno, una de ellas más bien) me ha hecho gracia la verdad, y el momento "zasca" ha sido para devir "si señora, ahí los has tenido bien puestos y la has dejado con la boquita birn cerrada"!
Leído y comentado con el grupo de chicas fabulosas de #clasicosflash y que os recomiendo de verdad que visiteis sus perfiles porque tienen unas reseñas estupendas!
September 25, 2024
This kinda ate ngl.
March 16, 2021
He tenido que incluir la versión en francés aunque he leído la versión en inglés y español. Éstas ediciones bilingües de cuentos cortos son verdaderas joyas, es una lástima que “El País” no saque más en otras lenguas además del inglés. La edición es muy cuidada y con unas cubiertas preciosas. Incluyen también un cd.
Fiebre romana me parece un cuento magistral. El final es perfecto. The letter también es una historia ambientada en la Italia del XIX, muy romántica y con final sorprendente y magnífico.
Fiebre romana me parece un cuento magistral. El final es perfecto. The letter también es una historia ambientada en la Italia del XIX, muy romántica y con final sorprendente y magnífico.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews