Rafaella

Pellico, Silvio, 1789-1854Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 236K words
Chapters: 24

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.Rafaella by Silvio PellicoAuthor: Pellico, Silvio, 1789-1854,Language: Italian, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Nov 16, 2012

Editor's review

Rafaella is an Italian-language work by the Italian writer Silvio Pellico, released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain ebook. Pellico is best known for his memoir Le mie prigioni (My Prisons), and his literary work often carries moral concern and delicate emotional description. The book is short and in Italian, making it a suitable introductory text for approaching 19th-century Italian literature in the original. Readers can attend both to the unfolding of the characters' emotions and narrative perspective, and to the ethical reflection the author invests in concise prose. For those learning Italian, studying Italian Romanticism, or researching Pellico's work, this public-domain electronic edition offers convenient access to the original text; but it is not a bilingual or annotated edition, so beginning Italian learners may need reference tools. Overall, it is a work suited to careful reading alongside background materials.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Intermediate learners of Italian who wish to read short original texts
Readers studying 19th-century Italian literature and Pellico's work
Literature enthusiasts interested in Italian Romanticism and moral narrative
Students needing a public-domain Italian text for translation practice or textual analysis

Not a good fit for

General readers who only read Chinese translations and do not engage with foreign-language originals
Learners at the beginner stage of Italian who cannot yet read literary originals independently
Readers expecting long, complex plots or modern narrative techniques

Reading tips

Learn about Pellico's life and the context of 19th-century Italian literature before approaching the text.
Note the characters' emotional shifts and narrative perspective while reading to appreciate the author's moral concern.
Italian learners can first read through for the gist, then close-read paragraph by paragraph with a dictionary.
Read alongside other Italian Romantic short works to compare themes and techniques.

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?

The original is in Italian. Project Gutenberg provides a public-domain Italian electronic text without a Chinese translation. Readers need some Italian reading ability, or should use translation tools and bilingual dictionaries for support.

Should I learn about the author Pellico first?

It helps. Pellico was a 19th-century Italian writer known for Le mie prigioni, and his work carries a tone of moral concern and self-reflection. Reading about his life and era beforehand will help you better understand the book's emotional tone and ethical themes.

Is this book suitable for Italian beginners?

Not very suitable for absolute beginners or those at the introductory stage. The original is 19th-century literary language, and its syntax and vocabulary are challenging for beginners. Intermediate or higher Italian reading ability is recommended, or use an annotated or bilingual edition.

Does this electronic edition have notes or an introduction?

Project Gutenberg public-domain ebooks usually provide only the original text, without modern editorial notes, introductions, or glossaries. Readers needing background material should consult literary histories, author studies, or related introductory materials separately.

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About the author

Pellico, Silvio, 1789-1854 Author

Silvio Pellico (1789–1854) was an Italian writer whose life and work are only sparsely documented in Chinese-language sources; the library holds six of his works. The surviving titles show him working across memoir, poetry and narrative prose. His best-known book, My Ten Years' Imprisonment, draws on his own experience of confinement and is marked by a strong autobiographical and moral character. The collections Vankeuteni and Poesie scelte, together with the two volumes of Poesie inedite, attest to his continued activity as a lyric poet, while Rafaella belongs to his narrative writing. His style is plain and restrained, often taking personal suffering as a starting point for reflection on freedom, faith and human dignity, and he holds a place in nineteenth-century Italian literature and the Risorgimento.