What a tongue-in-cheek chapter! The contrast between the Nameless One and the Cardinal is like night and day, evil and good, devil and saint. And yet...”All I will say is that we cannot expect perfection, even in the most admirable of men; if we do, we might as well write an eulogy.” Makes me wonder about the Cardinal. What skeletons might be hiding in his past?
Also, quite funny how the Nameless One, on his way to see the Cardinal, arms himself--pistols, dagger, carbine--like he’s going to wage war. Which in a sense he is--a war for his soul.
I love how the introduction of each new character is like another strand in the web the narrator is deftly spinning and pulling together: “So rather than gossiping about this man, let us pick up our story where we left off, so we can see him in action, following the guidance of our author.” So tempted to continue reading.
I looked Borromeo up. He has a good character in many ways but there is a dark side, as Manzoni alludes to.
It seems that also he was active in the counter Revolution, prosecuting protestants as heretics and persecuting witches, whose punishment was to be burned alive.
Even before Manzoni gets to Federigo's questionable ideas, I wondered about him. "In matters of his own interests or earthly glory, he never expressed any indiction of joy, regret, enthusiasm, or agitation: which was admirable if he did not feel these impulses in his heart, and even more so if in fact he did." That kind of repression never leads to good, or at least not to all good.
I was away without access to my print copy and, not wanting to get behind, I read a couple of chapters of an earlier English translation that’s up on Gutenberg. When I returned, I compared the two translations. I was interested to see that among other things the Gutenberg one leaves out a number of passages where the “I” (or as you’ve explained, Michael, “we” in the original) narrator comes in and talks to us. Including the one you mention beginning “I absolutely must say a few more words about . . . “
These are some of my favorite parts! I’m assuming that some earlier translations (oddly, no translator’s name is given for the Gutenberg) simply dropped these interpolations? Perhaps as not dignified enough, even though you write about how Manzoni wanted a modern and colloquial feel to his novel? It’s definitely harder to find the humor in the other translation. Now I have a second, digital, copy of your book—too much of a sacrifice to forgo it as more traveling looms.
“Did he offer the same indulgence, the same understanding, to poor Gertrude?” I’m embarrassed that I didn’t stop to ask this question. Did he know of her dilemma? I’m intrigued now.
"Just consider what a generous, judicious, benevolent, persevering lover of human improvement he must have been to create such opportunities, despite the ignorance, inertia, and general antipathy toward scholarly pursuits that were common at the time." A recurring problem regardless of epoch.
I have to admit my eyes did begin to go cross eyed after a few pages of this enthusiastic tribute and was relieved when we reached the end when he (with his usual ironic tone) promised to return to the narrative. My favorite part of the digression was about the library. Definitely on my bucket list if I ever make it to Milan! http://www.ambrosiana.it/en/who-we-are/ambrosiana/pinacoteca/
That is one doozy of a footnote. (Wild horses couldn’t’ve dragged me away from this chapter.) “Anyone who wishes to defend him tends to argue, most commonly, that these beliefs were errors of his time rather than his own.” What a neat trick to throw a wrench into such a vaunted description of the Cardinal.
“He was very rarely moved to anger, however, being admired for the gentleness of his ways, and for an imperturbable calmness of manner, which might have been attributed to an extraordinary equanimity of temperament, but was really a triumph of constant self discipline over a lively and indeed fiery nature.“
wow! such Catholic propaganda takes the book's religious underpinnings to the extreme. this literary hagiography makes me ever more curious to read socio-cultural interpretations of 'I promessi sposi.' a beatific deus ex machina to the rescue
For an instant, the invitation seemed like an annoying intrustion, as I wanted to get on with the scene and couldn't wait to see where this meeting was going -- and then to discover that the annoying intrusion was actually inviting me to leap ahead!--how wonderful! And wonderful also (perhaps) that I had fallen behind by a day, and therefore had two chapters to read this morning -- the perfect excuse to take Manzoni's narrator up on the offer to skip ahead, which I did -- then about halfway through that encounter, curiosity satisfied, I turned back to read about Federigo before continuing. A lovely zig zag.
And an aphorism: "The way one lives is the proof of principles professed in words."
Since Manzoni seems to love setting us up with an expectation only to overturn it, I have to imagine (as hinted above in today's post) that the story parallel to Gertrude's (but not identical) may foretell another reversal to come.
As if I could skip ahead! I loved meeting Federigo and think he's an interesting contrast w Gertrude!
What a tongue-in-cheek chapter! The contrast between the Nameless One and the Cardinal is like night and day, evil and good, devil and saint. And yet...”All I will say is that we cannot expect perfection, even in the most admirable of men; if we do, we might as well write an eulogy.” Makes me wonder about the Cardinal. What skeletons might be hiding in his past?
Also, quite funny how the Nameless One, on his way to see the Cardinal, arms himself--pistols, dagger, carbine--like he’s going to wage war. Which in a sense he is--a war for his soul.
I love how the introduction of each new character is like another strand in the web the narrator is deftly spinning and pulling together: “So rather than gossiping about this man, let us pick up our story where we left off, so we can see him in action, following the guidance of our author.” So tempted to continue reading.
I looked Borromeo up. He has a good character in many ways but there is a dark side, as Manzoni alludes to.
It seems that also he was active in the counter Revolution, prosecuting protestants as heretics and persecuting witches, whose punishment was to be burned alive.
I took Manzoni up on his offer, but I do admit I wondered where he was going with the backstory until he got to the nun he saves. The plot thickens!
Even before Manzoni gets to Federigo's questionable ideas, I wondered about him. "In matters of his own interests or earthly glory, he never expressed any indiction of joy, regret, enthusiasm, or agitation: which was admirable if he did not feel these impulses in his heart, and even more so if in fact he did." That kind of repression never leads to good, or at least not to all good.
I was away without access to my print copy and, not wanting to get behind, I read a couple of chapters of an earlier English translation that’s up on Gutenberg. When I returned, I compared the two translations. I was interested to see that among other things the Gutenberg one leaves out a number of passages where the “I” (or as you’ve explained, Michael, “we” in the original) narrator comes in and talks to us. Including the one you mention beginning “I absolutely must say a few more words about . . . “
These are some of my favorite parts! I’m assuming that some earlier translations (oddly, no translator’s name is given for the Gutenberg) simply dropped these interpolations? Perhaps as not dignified enough, even though you write about how Manzoni wanted a modern and colloquial feel to his novel? It’s definitely harder to find the humor in the other translation. Now I have a second, digital, copy of your book—too much of a sacrifice to forgo it as more traveling looms.
“Did he offer the same indulgence, the same understanding, to poor Gertrude?” I’m embarrassed that I didn’t stop to ask this question. Did he know of her dilemma? I’m intrigued now.
"Just consider what a generous, judicious, benevolent, persevering lover of human improvement he must have been to create such opportunities, despite the ignorance, inertia, and general antipathy toward scholarly pursuits that were common at the time." A recurring problem regardless of epoch.
I have to admit my eyes did begin to go cross eyed after a few pages of this enthusiastic tribute and was relieved when we reached the end when he (with his usual ironic tone) promised to return to the narrative. My favorite part of the digression was about the library. Definitely on my bucket list if I ever make it to Milan! http://www.ambrosiana.it/en/who-we-are/ambrosiana/pinacoteca/
That is one doozy of a footnote. (Wild horses couldn’t’ve dragged me away from this chapter.) “Anyone who wishes to defend him tends to argue, most commonly, that these beliefs were errors of his time rather than his own.” What a neat trick to throw a wrench into such a vaunted description of the Cardinal.
There may be a storm brewing on the horizon…
“He was very rarely moved to anger, however, being admired for the gentleness of his ways, and for an imperturbable calmness of manner, which might have been attributed to an extraordinary equanimity of temperament, but was really a triumph of constant self discipline over a lively and indeed fiery nature.“
With all these mini-biographies, is anyone reminded of Robert Caro's books? Caro certainly did not suggest the reader to skip anything!
wow! such Catholic propaganda takes the book's religious underpinnings to the extreme. this literary hagiography makes me ever more curious to read socio-cultural interpretations of 'I promessi sposi.' a beatific deus ex machina to the rescue
For an instant, the invitation seemed like an annoying intrustion, as I wanted to get on with the scene and couldn't wait to see where this meeting was going -- and then to discover that the annoying intrusion was actually inviting me to leap ahead!--how wonderful! And wonderful also (perhaps) that I had fallen behind by a day, and therefore had two chapters to read this morning -- the perfect excuse to take Manzoni's narrator up on the offer to skip ahead, which I did -- then about halfway through that encounter, curiosity satisfied, I turned back to read about Federigo before continuing. A lovely zig zag.
The library was fabulous and timely. (Earlier this morning I read about Chinguetti & Mauritania's ancient libraries in the WaPo-- https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2023/mauritania-libraries-desert/ ).
And an aphorism: "The way one lives is the proof of principles professed in words."
Since Manzoni seems to love setting us up with an expectation only to overturn it, I have to imagine (as hinted above in today's post) that the story parallel to Gertrude's (but not identical) may foretell another reversal to come.
catching up reading about 4 chapters a day. at this clip, the digressions seem like quick deep dives rather than digressions at all!