Synopses & Reviews
Long out of print, Shirley Hazzard's classic novel of love and memoryA young Englishwoman working in Naples, Jenny comes to Italy fleeing a history that threatened to undo her. Alone in the fabulously ruined city, she idly follows up a letter of introduction from an acquaintance and so changes her life forever. Through the letter, she meets Giocanda, a beautiful and gifted writer, and Gianni, a famous Roman film director and Giocandas lover. At work she encounters Justin, a Scotsman whose inscrutability Jenny finds mysteriously attractive. As she becomes increasingly involved in the lives of these three, she discovers that the past--and the patterns of a lifetime--are not easily discarded.
Shirley Hazzard was born in Sydney, Australia, has lived in Hong Kong, New Zealand, Britain, Italy, and the United States. She is the author of the acclaimed novel, The Transit of Venus (winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award), as well as a memoir of Graham Greene, Green on Capri, and her most recent novel, The Great Fire.
A young Englishwoman working in Naples, Jenny comes to Italy fleeing a history that threatened to undo her. Alone in the fabulously ruined city, she idly follows up a letter of introduction from an acquaintance and so changes her life forever. Through the letter, she meets Gioconda, a beautiful and gifted writer, and Gianni, a Roman film director and Gioconda's lover. At work she encounters Justin, a Scotsman enigmatically attractively. As she becomes increasingly involved in the lives of these three, she discovers that the pastand the patterns of a lifetimeare not easily discarded.
"Drawn so perfectly that it seems to breathe."The New York Times Book Review
"Hazzard's prose is clean, witty, playful, and economical. It weaves an armchair traveler's dream landscape."The New York Times
"Hazzard applies her intelligence to produce a shock of recognition in the reader . . . and she has succeeded brilliantly."The New Yorker
"Hazzard's polished prose constructs a sumptuous tapestry."Jonathan Rabin
Review
"Drawn so perfectly that it seems to breathe." --
The New York Times Book Review"Hazzard's prose is clean, witty, playful, and economical. It weaves an armchair traveler's dream landscape." --The New York Times
"Hazzard applies her intelligence to produce a shock of recognition in the reader. . .and she has succeeded brilliantly." --The New Yorker
Synopsis
Long out of print, Shirley Hazzard's classic novel of love and memoryA young Englishwoman working in Naples, Jenny comes to Italy fleeing a history that threatened to undo her. Alone in the fabulously ruined city, she idly follows up a letter of introduction from an acquaintance and so changes her life forever. Through the letter, she meets Giocanda, a beautiful and gifted writer, and Gianni, a famous Roman film director and Giocandas lover. At work she encounters Justin, a Scotsman whose inscrutability Jenny finds mysteriously attractive. As she becomes increasingly involved in the lives of these three, she discovers that the past--and the patterns of a lifetime--are not easily discarded.
Synopsis
Long out of print, Shirley Hazzard's classic novel of love and memory
A young Englishwoman working in Naples, Jenny comes to Italy fleeing a history that threatened to undo her. Alone in the fabulously ruined city, she idly follows up a letter of introduction from an acquaintance and so changes her life forever. Through the letter, she meets Giocanda, a beautiful and gifted writer, and Gianni, a famous Roman film director and Giocanda’s lover. At work she encounters Justin, a Scotsman whose inscrutability Jenny finds mysteriously attractive. As she becomes increasingly involved in the lives of these three, she discovers that the past--and the patterns of a lifetime--are not easily discarded.
About the Author
Born in Sydney, Australia,
Shirley Hazzard has lived in Hong Kong, New Zealand, Italy, and the United States. She is the author of the acclaimed novel,
The Transit of Venus (winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award), as well as several other works of fiction, and most recently a memoir of Graham Greene,
Green on Capri.