The Betrothed From the Italian of Alessandro Manzoni

If you enjoy elegant prose, you will love this suspenseful tale of conniving, lustful courtiers and the callous brigands who served them in 19th century Italy. Manzoni weaves his story gracefully, deftly drawing the reader into the unfolding yarn with characters weak and fearful but conscience-stricken; noble, courageous, and forthright; outraged and bold, but bound by the limits of their status. “The Betrothed” is great literature.I am amazed that Manzoni and this work never were mentioned in my literature studies

Alesandro Manzoni's I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed) is a great novel. Set during the war torn and plague infected years of early 17th Century Lombardy, the story takes account not only of the dramatic events brought about by the catastrophes of war and plague, but also the simple lives of the people caught up in the death and destruction of the times.We are immediately introduced to our two main characters, Renzo and Lucy, young peasants who are planning to be married. The local parish priest, Father Abbondio, is warned by two ruffians not to perform the marriage on orders of the local nobleman, Don Rodrigo. Father Abbondio is a weak and cowardly man who complies with the orders he has been given. Renzo won't be stopped. He joins with Lucy's mother Agnes to form a plot to fool the padre and get the marriage performed, but they fail and must immediately leave their homes to prevent Don Rodrigo from kidnapping Lucy. Thus the novel begins and takes many twists and turns before the end when we finally find out what happens to Renzo and Lucy.This brief introduction may not seem like a promising beginning for an epic novel, but soon after Renzo and Lucy go on the run, they encounter a variety of very good and bad people who either help or harm them. Two of the most impressive of these characters are Cardinal Frederick Borromeo and a nobleman Manzoni never names beyond calling him "Unnamed." Cardinal Borromeo is a real person whom Manzoni immortalizes in his novel. The Cardinal is one of those great men who influence for good all the lives they touch. A lengthy scene between the Cardinal and the evil "Unnamed" noble is one of the important turning points in the novel which demonstrates the power of good to overcome any evil.The bubonic plague beginning in 1629, which killed hundreds of thousands of people in Milan and the cities of Lombardy, was researched carefully by Manzoni and became an important part of the novel. Renzo was a lucky survivor of the plague. Manzoni describes in detail the terrible suffering of the people Renzo saw as he walked the streets of Milan who were not so lucky and died of this terrible illness. Additionally, the riots over bread by a starving population in Milan take center stage in the story and have a direct impact on Renzo, who must flee Milan to save his life.For the most part, The Betrothed is a gripping story of love lost and won, but I must warn the general reader that Manzoni does more than tell a story. In his frequent digressions he gives us a history of the times in early 17th century Lombardy and often takes his time before returning to the main story and characters. Speed reading is appropriate for some sections of this very long novel.Lastly, the whole tone and theme of The Betrothed demonstrate what Friar Christopher tells Renzo and Lucy as he attempts to help them: "All things work together for good for those who love God." Rarely in literature has a more convincing case been made for this statement. Faith, hope, and love are central to this great story and, as St. Paul says and Manzoni would agree, the greatest of these is love. It is best, I think, to end this review exactly as Manzoni ends his novel. Renzo and Lucy decide "that misfortunes most commonly happen to us from our own misconduct or imprudence, but sometimes from causes independent of ourselves; ... trust in God softens them, and renders them useful in preparing us for a better life. Although this was said by poor peasants, it appears to us so just that we offer it here as the moral of our story."

Yes an Italian Classic. Manzanilla was considered the author who brought about modern Italian.His story is long and at times he digresses. Yet he treats of the eternal values of the love between boy and girl.Read of the jealousies which tried to separate them. Read of the dire plague that reduced central Italy. Read of the human heart that bears sacrifice and grows in love.

The Betrothed is a sort of successful blend of morality tale and historical fiction that results in one of the greatest works of Italian literature.The negatives are obvious: the characters tend towards caricature and the theme seems relatively trite. Set in 17th century Italy, it’s the story of two star crossed lovers and the adventures they experience as they struggle to come together in matrimony. The theme is largely that of God’s providence: the evil get caught in their own snares, the good may experience suffering, particularly when they rely on themselves and not on faith, but in the end God uses both the good and the bad to steer to what’s best.But that isn’t all there is to the novel. More adeptly than even Walter Scott, Manzoni introduces historical figures and events that make the book into an almost War and Peace style epic. Thus, the plot unfolds amidst a bread revolt in Milan, an outbreak of the plague and a siege that is part of the larger conflict known as the Thirty Years War. The characters cross paths with such real figures as Cardinal Bellarmine and the evil Nun of Monza.What results is a vision of history where God directs all using the hearts of men to achieve his secret purposes. Prayers are always answered, but as God not man intends. Surprisingly, in a novel set in Catholic Italy, the vision is a remarkably Enlightenment view of religion: parading relics only results in a greater spread of the plague, there’s little mention of the Mass or other sacraments…instead God relates to humanity directly through the enigma that is the human heart.Beloved in Italy, it’s a novel that should be more read in the wider world. Recommended reading for all who like historical fiction, classic romances and or those who simply like a riveting narrative.

A very easy novel with a good but slightly predictable story. A tale of love and hardship which rolls along very nicely.