The Duke of Athens

Tommaseo, Niccolò, 1802-1874Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 361K words
Chapters: 37

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Il duca d'Atene by Niccolò TommaseoAuthor: Tommaseo, Niccolò, 1802-1874,Language: Italian, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Sep 12, 2014

Editor's review

"Il duca d'Atene" is a work by the Italian writer and linguist Niccolò Tommaseo, a public-domain Italian-language e-book released by Project Gutenberg. Tommaseo is known for his language studies and literary writing, and his style is marked by careful attention to language; this work offers some reference value for understanding nineteenth-century Italian literature and prose style. For Chinese readers, the main value of this book lies not in popular plotting but in its use as reading material in the original Italian: it can be used to test and improve Italian reading comprehension and to experience the syntax and diction of nineteenth-century written Italian. Note that this is the original Italian edition, with no Chinese translation to assist; the language barrier is high. The work also carries the background of a particular era, and its plot and themes may not meet the reading expectations of contemporary general readers. It is suitable as advanced reading for language learners or supplementary reading for lovers of Italian literature, rather than as light entertainment.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Advanced learners with some foundation in Italian who want to read the original
Readers studying nineteenth-century Italian literature and prose style
Lovers of Italian literature interested in Tommaseo's works
University students who want to expand their Italian vocabulary through reading the original

Not a good fit for

General readers who do not know Italian and hope to read a Chinese translation
Casual readers seeking light plots or fast-paced stories
Italian beginners, for whom reading the original would be too difficult

Reading tips

First learn about the author Tommaseo's life and historical background, then move on to the main text.
Keep an Italian-Chinese dictionary at hand, mark unfamiliar words and special sentence patterns, and proceed chapter by chapter.
You may first read prefatory or introductory materials to grasp the basic outline of the work.
Do not feel obliged to finish it in one go; set small goals by chapter and take reading notes.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What language is this book written in?

According to the information, the book is in Italian and is a public-domain e-book released by Project Gutenberg, classified under Italian literature. It does not include a Chinese translation, so Chinese readers need a foundation in Italian or must rely on dictionaries and auxiliary tools.

What level of Italian is needed to read this book?

The work comes from a nineteenth-century author, and its sentence patterns and diction bear the marks of its era; readers are advised to have at least intermediate Italian reading ability before attempting it. Beginners may first read simplified readers or bilingual materials, build vocabulary and grammar, and then take on the original.

Who was the author Tommaseo?

Niccolò Tommaseo (1802–1874) was an Italian writer and linguist, known for his language studies and literary writing. The information provides only his birth and death years and details of the work; readers who wish to learn more may consult reliable literary histories separately.

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About the author

Tommaseo, Niccolò, 1802-1874 Author · Italian · 1802–1874

Niccolò Tommaseo (1802–1874) was an Italian writer and linguist who took part in the Italian Risorgimento. His literary work went hand in hand with his study of language: he cared about social realities and about the practical use of Italian. Two of his works are held in this collection, Il segreto dei fatti palesi seguiti nel 1859 and Il duca d'Atene. The first explores the hidden side of public events of 1859 and shows a strong concern with current affairs; the second, centered on the Duke of Athens, is a narrative work on a historical subject. Though different in topic, both reveal his tendency to connect literary writing with real and historical issues. Given the limited sources, details of his life and the full range of his work are not widely documented; this note is based only on the works held here and his known identity.