The Gadfly. By Ethel Voynich FULL Audiobook
The Gadfly is a novel by Ethel Voynich, published in 1897. The story is set in 1840s Italy under the dominance of Austria, a time of tumultuous revolt and uprisings. The protagonist, Arthur Burton, is an English Catholic who travels to Italy to study to be a priest. He discovers radical ideas, renounces Catholicism, fakes his death and leaves Italy. While away he suffers great hardship, but returns with renewed revolutionary fervour. He becomes a journalist, expounding radical ideas in brilliant satirical tracts published under the pseudonym "the gadfly". The local authorities are soon dedicated to capturing him. Gemma, his lover, and Padre Montanelli, his Priest (and also secretly his biological father), show various forms of love via their tragic relations with the focal character of Arthur: religious, romantic, and family. The story compares these emotions to those Arthur experiences as a revolutionary, particularly drawing on the relationship between religious and revolutionary feelings. This is especially explicit at the climax of the book, where sacred descriptions intertwine with reflections on the Gadfly's fate. Eventually Arthur is captured by the authorities and executed by a firing squad. Montanelli also dies, having lost his faith and his sanity.
The book is primarily concerned with the culture of revolution and revolutionaries. Arthur, the eponymous Gadfly, embodies the tragic Romantic hero, who comes of age and returns from abandonment to discover his true state in the world and fight against the injustices of the current one. The landscape of Italy, in particular the Alps, is a pervading focus of the book, with its often lush descriptions of scenery conveying the thoughts and moods of characters.
The Gadfly is a tale of faith, disillusionment, revolution, romance, and heroism. It is a classic novel that has been translated into many languages and has been widely read across the world. The book has been praised for its vivid descriptions of Italy, its portrayal of the revolutionary spirit, and its exploration of the human condition. It has also been criticized for its melodramatic plot and its tendency towards sentimentality.
In summary, The Gadfly is a novel that explores the themes of revolution, faith, and love in the context of 19th century Italy. It is a story of a young man's journey from religious faith to revolutionary fervour, and his ultimate sacrifice for his beliefs. The book is a classic of its genre and has been widely read and translated across the world..
More: The Gadfly, Ethel Voynich, Audiobook
Italy, Austria, Revolution
Uprising, Heroism, Faith
Disillusionment, Love, Religion
Romance, Family, Satirical
00:00:00 Epigraph. Author’s Preface
00:00:28 The Gadfly. Part I
00:18:06 II
00:38:42 III
00:54:13 IV
01:12:55 V
01:27:44 VI
01:56:07 VII
02:27:22 Part II. I
02:50:40 II
03:20:27 III
03:41:51 IV
03:59:57 V
04:20:44 VI
04:39:43 VII
04:57:04 VIII
05:31:04 IX
05:59:51 X
06:18:53 XI
06:55:20 Part III. I
07:25:07 II
07:47:05 III
08:07:59 IV
08:35:39 V
08:50:06 VI
09:28:28 VII
09:47:03 VIII
10:13:43 Epilogue
