Tag: romance

  • Torments Are My Delight

    Torments Are My Delight

    Torments are my delight and bliss
    I love to feel a pang piercing my heart
    I love to pine for love devotionally
    I live only in my dreams like a fairy
    Flying lightly from one flower to another one

    I’m an ethereal creature belonging to phantasmagorias
    I’m a little spirit of the night
    My heart is avid of passions and desires
    In my secret garden of lush and extravagance
    Torments are my solace and mirth

    My fate is a turmoil of unknown chaos
    Not paying attention to my fears
    I live carelessly as every day is my last day
    My senses are intoxicated by the scent of extravagant flowers
    And let my body surrender to lust in my haven of lush

    I wear an exquisite and magnificent gown made of tragedy
    My ethereal wings carry me everywhere I wish
    In sadness, I find refuge under the shadows of ancient trees
    In joy, I relish pursuing my dreams of oddities
    Safety is not my favourite word in the dictionary because I adore nightmares

    Every night, I crave to be consumed by the passion of my darkest fantasies
    In the darkness, I burn with the desire to be pierced by agony
    Gloomy shadows whisper my name, enticing me closer
    As I feel an ecstatic pain, I hesitate to surrender
    I’m so lost in the euphoria of torment’s kiss

    Each sigh of mine is like a melody of forbidden delights
    When pleasure and pain entwine in an endless embrace
    I welcome the darkness as its touches are so exquisite and deep
    I become a creature made of fire and fiery lust
    A blaze burns my heart at every stroke

    Every kiss carves a searing scar of longing on my skin
    As a reminder of the desires consuming me whole
    And in the flames, I’m reborn like a blooming blossom
    Torments are my delight and I surrender to the sweet agony of my lusts.
    Elisabetta

  • My Second List Of Books

    My Second List Of Books

    My second list of books includes twelve novels that I sorted by title. These novels belong to American, British, and German literature.

      1. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff                        84, Charing Cross Road is the first novel in my second list of books84, Charing Cross Road is a 1970 epistolary book and is the first in my second list of books. This novel is about books and English literature and about twenty years of correspondence between the writer Helene, who lived in New York, and her friend Frank Doel from London. Their shared love for books and literature connected them in a long time close friendship.
      2. 1984 by George Orwell   1984 is the second book in my second list of books1984 is a satirical, futuristic, dystopian novel about totalitarianism depriving individuality and freedom. It is the second novel in my second list of books. The year of publication is 1949, and it takes place in a province of the superstate Oceania in the year 1984. The main character is Winston Smith, who dreams about a revolution against the totalitarian Party. 

      3. The Aeronauts: Travels in the Air By James Glaisher                     The Aeronauts is the third novel in my second list of books

        The third novel in my second list of books is The Aeronauts book about extraordinary flights and discoveries. The main character is the scientist James Glaisher, who explored the skies like no one before and the book’s author. A meteorologist and photographer with a passion for hot balloons and sky exploration. A book of discoveries during incredible travels in the air.

      4. Animal Farm by George Orwell                                          Animal Farm is the fourth book in my second list of books

        The fourth book on my list is Animal Farm, which is an allegorical story. It is a dystopian novel by the English author George Orwell, who published it in 1945. The plot is about a group of farm animals, which organises a revolution against irresponsible human farmers. The animals dream about equality, freedom and happiness. 

      5. The Blue Castle by L.M. MontgomeryThe Blue Castle is the fifth novel in my second list of booksThe Blue Castle is the fifth novel in my second list of books, and it is a 1926 novel by the Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. This romance takes place in Canada before the First World War, and the protagonist is Valancy Stirling. She is a single woman who lives unhappily with her distressful family. She escapes from reality, dreaming about a blue castle.
      6. Cranford by Elizabeth GaskellCranford is the sixth novel in my second list of books

        The sixth novel in my second list of books is Cranford, which is a well-known novel. Elizabeth Gaskell published it between 1851 and 1853. The background of this novel is a small English town in the mid-nineteenth century. The protagonists are the two spinster sisters Miss Matty and Miss Deborah, and it is a portrait of a small society of women.

      7. The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton The Custom of the Country is the seventh book in my second list of booksThe seventh book on my list is The Custom of the Country, a 1913 novel and a literary masterwork by the American author Edith Wharton. It is the story of Undine Spragg, a beautiful and ambitious girl. She is a fortune seeker who uses her beauty and charm only to marry a rich man. 

      8. The Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith                    The Diary of a Nobody is the eighth novel in my second list of books

        The Diary of a Nobody is an 1892 English comic novel, which describes Charles Pooter’s chronicles daily in a narrow-minded society. It is the eighth novel in my second list of books, and it is a daily diary, which collects the memories of his ordinary middle-class life. 

      9. Effie: The Passionate Lives of Effie Gray, John Ruskin and John Everett Millais by Suzanne Fagence Cooper                                  The ninth book is Effie, which is about the beautiful and intelligent Effie Gray’s adventures a young Scottish socialite living in the Victorian era. She was an extraordinary woman who supported her husband’s career, the Pre-Raphaelite painter John Everett Millais.
      10. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim              The Enchanted April is the tenth book in my second list of booksThe Enchanted April is the tenth book in my second list of books. It is a 1922 novel about four women living in England and going to Portofino to spend a holiday in an Italian castle. In Italy, they enjoy an unforgettable period in an enchanting and beautiful place.

      11. Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy     

        The eleventh novel in my second list of books is Far from the Madding Crowd

        In my second list of books, the eleventh novel is Far from the Madding Crowd, an 1874 book, the fourth novel of Thomas Hardy and his first success. It takes place in rural Wessex in the 1860s, and the protagonist is Bathsheba Everdene, a farmer. She has an independent and fearless personality. This novel is full of turmoils, tragedies and heartbreak. 

      12. Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe         
        Faust is the twelfth novel in my second list of books

        Faust is a classic German legend about the successful historian Johann Georg Faust, who finds discontent in his life. He makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for indefinite knowledge and enjoyment. In the end, Faust will find destruction and redemption. It is the twelfth novel on my list. 

  • The Little Women Novel

    The Little Women Novel

    Little Women is an 1868 novel, which is a literary treasure by Louisa May Alcott. The main characters are four young sisters, and the mise en scène is in New England. For many years this book has been considered a book for children, especially for girls. 

    The March Sisters in Little Women 

    The March sisters are four girls with different personalities. Margaret, Meg, is the oldest one, she is 16, pretty and responsible for the household; she is a bit vain about her white hands, and she represents the ideal and typical woman of that period. Josephine, Jo, is the boyish girl of the family and, even if she is only 15, she is a writer. Elizabeth, Beth, is a 13 years girl who is adorable, kind and compassionate about the others. Amy is the youngest one, being 12 years old, she likes to paint, she is vain and loves to wear beautiful dresses. I appreciate Amy because I do love figurative arts, and to dress feminine and fancy. Besides Amy, Jo March is one of my favourite characters because she is not the typical girl who only takes care of the house; besides, she doesn’t aim to marry. The four sisters live with their mother, Mrs March, Marmee, and, Hannah, the house’s maid. Mr Robert March, the father of the girls, serves in the Civil War. 

    Louisa May Alcott And Josephine March

    In the novel Little Women, the four sisters deal with different daily activities. Meg is responsible for the other girls, and sometimes she is tutoring them. Jo is a writer, and she passes her free time with her best friend, Laurie; Beth is a musician, and she adores to play the piano; Amy is a student at school, loves art, and paints in her spare time. In Little Women, the March sisters love to read, and they are very attentive to their mother. Although they have some quarrel, they are very connected. The most peculiar character is Jo March because, in that period, it was unusual for a woman to be a writer, and she doesn’t have the intention to marry. Oppositely to Meg, who is very feminine and obedient, Jo is a rebel, self-confident and erudite girl. Louisa May Alcott identified herself with the character of Josephine. Indeed, Louisa was the second oldest girl among four sisters, and she did not intend to marry. Joe is unconventional, brave and a dreamer. Her joyful moments are mainly at her aunt’s attic, where she finds delight in reading and writing. Joe has a particular temper, although she is devoted to her family. Similarly, Louisa was an impulsive, dynamic and productive woman. She wrote novels and poetry quickly; in fact, she had to support her low-income family. 

    About Louisa

    Louisa started working when she was eighteen because of her poverty-stricken family. She became a playground teacher, a seamstress, a servant, a writer and a nurse. After working at a Union hospital, Louisa got pneumonia, and since then her health conditions remained weak. She started writing under the pen name of Flora Fairfield, and later she wrote gothic thrillers under the pen name of A.M. Bernard. One day, her publisher proposed her to write a book for girls in a change to publish one of her father’s books. Hence Louisa wrote Little Women in only ten weeks. Her inspiration came from her family because she had other three sisters, and like in the case of the March family, her family was living in poverty. Differently from Jo March, Louisa never married. After Abigail May, one of her sisters, died, Louisa cared for her niece Lulu for some year. Moreover, Louisa Alcott was the first woman to vote in Concord, in Massachusetts. Indeed, she was working as Suffragette like her mother. 

    My Thoughts

    The way the March sisters try to cope with their poverty, difficulties and absence of their father because of the war is noteworthy. Despite their young age, they are mature and responsible women. They work, study and employ their free time in activities, which nowadays are uncommon. Indeed, today’s technology and social media are a threat to creativity, using less time in reading books. Indeed, this book illustrates the conditions of women in the 19th-century. In that period, in Europe and the United States, women could not have careers besides servants or governess. Hence, their life achievement was marriage, preferring wealth or rich men. It was inconvenient and discouraging to be a spinster. Women were not supposed to be independent nor to enter into the profession of the writer. I firmly think that society is not entitled to label a woman for her job and life’s choices. The concept of femininity mustn’t mislead to misconceptions about women. It is a mistake to define a feminine woman as a submissive, docile, delicate and obedient human being. Indeed, the concept of submission is a terrible blunder of many women, who think it as a way to express their femininity. A woman doesn’t need to be docile, fragile, dependent and passive to show her womanhood. On the contrary, lack of independence and charisma shows off only a lack of intelligence and character.

  • The Track Of A Storm – A Tale Of Two Cities Book 3

    The Track Of A Storm – A Tale Of Two Cities Book 3

    The Track Of A Storm is the third book of A Tale Of Two Cities. It is full of suspense and surprises. It is not a dull and ordinary book at all. Indeed, I found it to be a very alluring and breathtaking novel. 

    The Track Of A Storm

    The Track Of A Storm is the third book of the historical novel A Tale of Two Cities. It contains fifteen chapters, and most events occur in Paris. Charles Darnay goes to Paris to rescue one of his noble uncle’s servants, the Marquis St. Evremonde. Unfortunately, he is imprisoned in La Force Prison because he is an aristocrat. Dr Manette and Lucie, with her child and governess, Miss Pross, go to Paris to rescue Darnay. 

    In Paris, we find the vengeful couple Defarge; they will use an old letter from Dr Manette, dating back to his imprisonment, exposing the aristocratic family Evremonde. Since this noble family is guilty of several crimes, the tribunal sends Darnay to the Conciergerie, waiting for his death sentence with the guillotine. 

    The end of the book A Tale of Two Cities is surprising, even though there are sad aspects. Furthermore, I will not reveal what happens at the end. I can only say that I have read the last part twice. Moreover, I have been impressed by the fantasy and the narration of Charles Dickens in this historical novel. Indeed, he is well known for his Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol. Nevertheless, Dickens wrote several novels, stories, and nonfiction books.

    The Bitter-Sweet Taste of This Novel

    I must admit that at the end of A Tale of Two Cities, I had two simultaneous feelings of bitter discontent and sweet satisfaction. None of them won, but for the very first time, I felt well pleased to have read a book. The happiness of the Darnay family implies the sacrifice of the life of another innocent man. The tribunal’s justice system instituted by people experiencing poverty and plebe shows how much it was unjust this cruel revolution. They did not execute only the aristocrats and nobles but also other poor people who had the misfortune of being weak and vulnerable. 

    The unceasing knitting of the vengeful women corresponds to an unceasing procedure of executions of guilty and innocent people, all together, with a steady and rapid rhythm. The knitting women count each victim of their system with nonchalance. They never interrupt their knitting nor look at the guillotine. Although most of them lost some family members because of an aristocrat or nobleman, their purpose was social justice, where all men should be equal. The problem is that they behave like imperturbable tyrants, similar to that privileged society. At this point, you cannot see where social justice is because it is just a utopia. 

    It is also hard to sympathize with the peasants and the aristocrats. There are several waves of abuse of the aristocracy against people with low incomes. The peasants are so unfortunate that they must beg the aristocrats for food. However, they receive only humiliation and exploitation. This situation leads to an ideal revolution. Once well-organized, the indigent and weak peasants became the most potent force in France, and they did not hesitate to gain social power. They repay torture with torture and oppression with oppression. 

    My previous blog posts are about the first two books of Two Cities of Charles Dickens – First Part and A Tale of Two Cities Book 2 – The Golden Thread

  • The Book Of Emma By Jane Austen

    The Book Of Emma By Jane Austen

    The book of Emma by Jane Austen is a unique masterwork of British literature. Indeed, it is one of the most read books in history and a marvellous novel. Emma is the second book on my first list of books

    Emma in a few lines

    The main character of this book is Emma, who is a twenty-one years old girl. She is a charming, smart, and rich young lady. However, she doesn’t enjoy to study, and she categorises people because of their social-economical status. Nevertheless, she is merciful with the poor, and she loves to match people around her. In the beginning, she is determined to enjoy her life as a single woman because she doesn’t intend to marry.

    On the other side, Mr Knightley is a wealthy close friend who sometimes disapproves Emma’s behaviour, even though he is a kindhearted and benevolent man. Besides Emma and Mr Knightley, the other characters of the novel are Mr and Mrs Weston, Emma’s closest family, the wealthy and jolly Frank Churchill, the selfish and bad-mannered Mr and Mrs Elton, the well-educated and beautiful Jane Fairfax, the beautiful and naive Harriet Smith, and Emma’s father, Mr Woodhouse.

    The marvellous novel of Emma

    I started reading this fabulous novel, which is a book of fifty-five chapters. In the first chapter, there is a description of Emma as the youngest of two daughters living happily in a comfortable house. I use the term marvellous to define this novel because of the book’s happy and cheerful atmosphere.

    The main character is a woman like in Macbeth (check my first and second blog post about Macbeth). Of course, there is a considerable difference since lady Macbeth is a wicked and deceitful woman. Instead, Emma is a good-hearted girl who sometimes can commit some mistakes like every human. They are similar because of their strong personality and leadership. They influence people surrounding them, and they are tenacious in their purposes.  

    One of my favourite books

    Emma is one of my favourite books, and I’m delighted to reread it. Indeed the first time I’ve read Emma was during my adolescence. And I confess that I love Emma Woodhouse’s character because I see in her some traits of my personality. She is a modern heroine, after all, since I can imagine her in today’s society. Although the publication year happened to be 1815, the book of Emma by Jane Austen is a modern romance without any doubt.

    This novel is the most special one among Jane Austen’s books. The independent and outstanding personality of Emma makes her a real modern heroine. Indeed, she relies on her wisdom, which she uses to instruct and guide people around her. She has gracious manners and intelligence; hence she is well considered by most of all her friends. She is a tutor of a girl who must learn how to dive into society because she is still very naive. 

    Even though Emma can appear as snobby and judgemental, she is not selfish because she takes care of the others. Matching couples, and advising with guidelines to her closest friends, in particular women. From time to time, she commits mistakes unintentionally; indeed, Emma is not a wicked woman. Surely, she devotes herself to improve other’s life. She has high self-esteem, which she uses most of the time. I will continue to read this beautiful book. And I will write more in the next blog posts. 

  • My First List Of Books

    My First List Of Books

    My first list of books, which I will read in the first part of 2020, includes nine novels. These books are real masterpieces and literature classics. During my life, I’ve always read several books. During high school, I developed a passion for literature. Moreover, I also studied Greek, Latin, art, philosophy, and history. Let’s check these nine novels:

    • Macbeth by William Shakespeare   

      Macbeth is the shortest play among the most remarkable tragedies of William Shakespeare, who wrote it around 1606. The dark and gloomy air lingers in this drama, which sees as main characters the thane of Glamis Macbeth with his wife, Lady Macbeth. The other figures are the three Weyward sisters (the witches), King Duncan, Duncan’s elder son Malcolm and the Scottish thane Banquo. In Macbeth, the metaphysical world meets human nature’s worst traits, such as corruption, murder, lust, and avidity.

    • Emma by Jane Austen

    The hero of this novel by Jane Austen is Emma, a charming, smart, and rich young girl. She doesn’t enjoy studies, and she categorises people because of their social-economical status. Nevertheless, she loves to match her friends and acquaintances, intending not to marry. Another main character is Mr Knightley, who is a wealthy close friend of Emma. Sometimes he criticises her behaviour, although he is a kindhearted and benevolent person. The other characters of the novel are Mr and Mrs Weston, Emma’s closest family, the wealthy Frank Churchill, the selfish Mr and Mrs Elton, the beautiful Jane Fairfax, the naive Harriet Smith, and Emma’s father, Mr Woodhouse.

    A Tale of Two Cities is the most famous historical novel by Charles Dickens, who published it in 1859. This book finds its roots in “The French Revolution: A History” by Thomas Carlyle. Also, Dickens’ analysis during his travels to Paris has a significant impact on the book. The novel consists of three books: Book the First: Recalled to Life, Book the Second: The Golden Thread and Book the Third: The Track of a Storm. This historical novel takes place in London and Paris, during the French Revolution and the Terror. The main characters are the French doctor Alexandre Manette, his compassionate daughter Lucie, the arrogant Sydney Carton, the revolutionary Madame Defarge, the businessman Jarvis Lorry and the French aristocrat Charles Darnay. In this novel, the brightness and obscurity represent the virtue and sin personified by the different characters.

    In my list of books that I plan to read in the next months, I couldn’t miss Little Women, a novel by the American author Louisa May Alcott. The plot is about the life of four sisters March, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. They live with their mother Marmee in Massachusetts, New England. They are a low-income family whose father is away because he works as a pastor in the American civil war. Each of them has a different personality. Meg is pretty and classy; Jo is a butch girl, Beth is an introverted pianist, and Amy is a dreamy artist. Although they have different personalities, they love each other. Louisa Alcott found inspiration from her family, and she identified herself with the character of Jo March.

    • Good Wives by Louisa May AlcottGood Wives is the continuation of Little Women. We find the March sisters after three years of their lifetime. Meg is now a wife and mother; Amy travels to Europe, Jo is a nanny in New York, writing and learning German, and Beth’s health worsens. Although their life paths take different directions, they will always remain a very close family.

    • The Queen of Spades by Alexander Pushkin

      The Queen of Spade is a small book, which Alexander Pushkin published in 1834. This mysterious and minimal story takes place in Petersburg city. It is a tale where gambling and the supernatural find space in a bizarre and disillusioned ambience. The protagonist is Hermann, an army engineer,  who loses his mind and becomes mad. In The Queen of Spade, there is a detached and minimal description of events involving Hermann, the old countess, and her godchild Lizaveta. Hermann wants to know the secret of the three cards in a game, and hence he seduces the naive Lizaveta to meet the old countess. Ultimately, Hermann will fall into a mad obsession because of the unrevealed secret of the three cards.

    • Vanity Fair Fair by W. M. Thackeray       

      Vanity Fair is an 1847 English novel. This satiric novel doesn’t have a hero. Indeed, the protagonist is a treasure-hunt and rapacious crowd. They live without any morality, and they merchandise everything in their life. Thackeray describes London as a marketplace and a flat store. The society is a human jungle where there are predators and preys. There is no authenticity, but only performers pretending to show an opulent and extravagant facade. Vanity Fair is an authentic seriocomic tale.  

    • Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf   

      Mrs Dalloway is the fourth novel of Virginia Woolf, and its publication year is 1925. The main character is Clarissa Dalloway, who is a rich woman in her fifties. Clarissa is organising a party, and she recalls memories. The second main character is Septimus Smith, who is a war veteran. He struggles in his recovery from the post-traumatic stress disorder. The happening of the party of Clarissa is simultaneous with the decline of Septimus’s life. Virginia Woolf expresses a subtle critic of the medical profession and a hypocrite society. There is a correlation between the personal experience of the author and the characters of this fictional book. Indeed, Woolf had a bipolar disorder, and the suicidal theme anticipates the end of Virginia’s life.   

    • Orlando by Virginia Woolf 

      Orlando is the last novel in this list of books. This novel dates back to 1928, and it is a famous fantastic story by Virginia Woolf. The main character is an English nobleman who becomes a woman in his thirties. Orlando lives an adventurous three-century life starting from Queen Elizabeth I period. After different adventures, Orlando finds themselves as ambassador in Constantinople, and one day they awake as a woman. Lady Orlando goes back to England and lives as a woman for the following two centuries. They are a writer winning a prize for their poetry. The tale ends up in the year 1928, the publication year of the novel. In this book, there are different historical periods of Britain, from the Renaissance to Virginia Woolf’s contemporary period.      

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