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Under Vesuvius: A Reflective Travelogue in Verse and Prose
Under A Reflective Travelogue in Verse and Prose traces a 2016 vacation in and around Sorrento, Italy. In the spirit of the Grand Tour and Mark Twain’s Innocents Abroad, the author writes about sights and sounds of the Italian countryside, shorelines and islands around the Tyrrhenian Sea, from Naples to the Amalfi Coast and the islands of Ischia and Capri. Under Vesuvius celebrates life in what feels like a magical land of cliffs and flowers, olives and lemons, evidenced by locals met along the way. It simultaneously discovers and contemplates lessons from the region’s long past peoples and the places and edifices they left behind, whether still incredibly above ground and undisturbed for two millennia in Paestum, or sadly buried for as long by Vesuvius in Pompeii and Herculaneum. This book urges a consideration of faith, art, sacred spaces, friendship, honor, witnessing truth in the face of abusive secular and ecclesial authority, the holiness of a person’s name, and the relentless, devastating effects of lead toxicity on unsuspecting victims two millennia ago and in our current day.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 29, 2021
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February 2, 2026
Under Vesuvius: A Reflective Travelogue in Verse and Prose is a contemplative and richly textured literary journey through southern Italy, blending travel writing, poetry, history, and moral inquiry. Drawing inspiration from the tradition of the Grand Tour, Richard Haffey chronicles a 2016 journey through Naples, Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, and the islands of the Tyrrhenian Sea with both observational clarity and philosophical depth.
What elevates this work beyond conventional travel literature is its reflective ambition. Haffey uses place not merely as scenery, but as a lens through which to examine faith, art, memory, and moral responsibility. Ancient ruins whether preserved in Paestum or entombed in Pompeii and Herculaneum become meditative spaces where the past speaks directly to present concerns, including abuse of authority, the sanctity of names, and the enduring consequences of environmental and human negligence.
The interplay of verse and prose creates a thoughtful rhythm, allowing moments of lyric reflection to coexist with historical insight and personal encounter. Encounters with locals, landscapes, and sacred spaces ground the book in lived experience, while its ethical questions give the narrative lasting resonance.
Under Vesuvius will strongly appeal to readers of literary travel writing, reflective nonfiction, spiritually engaged literature, and works that thoughtfully connect history with contemporary moral reflection.
What elevates this work beyond conventional travel literature is its reflective ambition. Haffey uses place not merely as scenery, but as a lens through which to examine faith, art, memory, and moral responsibility. Ancient ruins whether preserved in Paestum or entombed in Pompeii and Herculaneum become meditative spaces where the past speaks directly to present concerns, including abuse of authority, the sanctity of names, and the enduring consequences of environmental and human negligence.
The interplay of verse and prose creates a thoughtful rhythm, allowing moments of lyric reflection to coexist with historical insight and personal encounter. Encounters with locals, landscapes, and sacred spaces ground the book in lived experience, while its ethical questions give the narrative lasting resonance.
Under Vesuvius will strongly appeal to readers of literary travel writing, reflective nonfiction, spiritually engaged literature, and works that thoughtfully connect history with contemporary moral reflection.
Displaying 1 of 1 review