Saracinesca

by F. Marion Crawford

Saracinesca is a novel written by F. Marion Crawford, first published in 1887. The story is set in Rome, Italy, and follows the lives of two aristocratic families, the Saracinesca and the Del Ferice. The novel explores the themes of love, family, and social class in the late 19th century.The Saracinesca family is headed by the elderly Prince Saracinesca, who is deeply respected in Roman society. His grandson, Giovanni, is the protagonist of the story. Giovanni is a young man who is passionate about horse racing and falls in love with a beautiful American woman named Corona d'Astrardente.The Del Ferice family is headed by the cunning and manipulative Prince Del Ferice, who is determined to marry his daughter, Donna Tullia, to Giovanni. However, Giovanni is not interested in Donna Tullia and is determined to marry Corona. The two families become embroiled in a bitter feud, which threatens to tear them apart.Throughout the novel, Crawford explores the complexities of love and relationships, as well as the social and political issues of the time. The novel is known for its vivid descriptions of life in Rome and its engaging characters, making it a classic of 19th-century literature.1887. With frontispiece. F. Marion Crawford was one of the more famous authors in the English-speaking world at the time of his death in 1909. He wrote over forty novels, most of which were in the style of disposable romances popular at the time. He also wrote stories of the horror and occult, which are generally the ones for which he is remembered today. Saracinesca In the year 1865 Rome was still in a great measure its old self. It had not then acquired that modern air which is now beginning to pervade it. The Corso had not been widened and whitewashed; the Villa Aldobrandini had not been cut through to make the Via Nazionale; the south wing of the Palazzo Colonna still looked upon a narrow lane through which men hesitated to pass after dark; the Tiber's course had not then been corrected below the Farnesina; the Farnesina itself was but just under repair; the iron bridge at the Ripetta was not dreamed of; and the Prati di Castello were still, as their name implies, a series of waste meadows. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: Fiction

460 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2004

About the author

Francis Marion Crawford (1854-1909) was an American writer noted for his many novels. He was born at Bagni di Lucca, Italy. In 1879 he went to India, where he studied Sanskrit and edited the Allahabad Indian Herald. Returning to America he continued to study Sanskrit at Harvard University for a year, contributed to various periodicals, and in 1882 produced his first novel, Mr Isaacs. This book had an immediate success, and its author's promise was confirmed by the publication of Doctor Claudius: A True Story (1883). After a brief residence in New York and Boston, in 1883 he returned to Italy, where he made his permanent home. He also published the historical works, Ave Roma Immortalis (1898), Rulers of the South (1900) renamed Sicily, Calabria and Malta in 1904, and Gleanings from Venetian History (1905). The Saracinesca series is perhaps known to be his best work, with the third in the series, Don Orsino, set against the background of a real estate bubble, told with effective concision. A fourth book in the series, Corleone, was the first major treatment of the Mafia in literature.

Reviews

[Dorcas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This is the first of four books in a series and is basically drama and intrigue among the nobility of Italy pre 1870. Romance, political whisperings, bribery, duels and revenge. Saricinesca lays the groundwork and characters for subsequent tales while staying true to the time period and the march of time.

My attention never really lagged and I'm invested enough to start on book two : Sant' Illario

[Mattmus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was ok…might read book 2 at some point.