Angela Borgia

Conrad Ferdinand MeyerProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 242K words
Chapters: 25

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.Angela Borgia by Conrad Ferdinand MeyerAuthor: Meyer, Conrad Ferdinand, 1825-1898,Language: German, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: Sep 1, 2004

Editor's review

Angela Borgia is a historical novel by the Swiss writer Conrad Ferdinand Meyer, set in Renaissance Italy and centering on figures associated with the Borgia family. Meyer is known for his concise, restrained style and meticulous recreation of historical atmosphere; beyond plot progression, this book pays greater attention to character psychology and the ethics of the era, allowing readers to feel the tension among power, faith, and emotion. As a German-language original included in Project Gutenberg, it is freely available and suitable as extended reading for readers interested in Renaissance history or German literature. A reminder: the language is German, and the style carries the expressive characteristics of nineteenth-century literature, so readers with insufficient German reading experience will find it difficult. This is not a light popular historical read, but closer to a literary text requiring quiet, careful reading; it is suitable for slow progress over relatively unhurried time, and after reading, one will have a more three-dimensional understanding of the characters' situations and choices.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of Renaissance Italy
Readers with some German foundation who want to encounter classics of German literature
Readers who enjoy psychological characterization and ethical tension in historical novels
Literature lovers willing to obtain free public-domain ebooks for extended reading

Not a good fit for

Readers with limited German reading ability who need a Chinese translation for support
Readers expecting light, entertaining historical stories
Readers lacking patience for nineteenth-century literary style

Reading tips

Before reading, learn the basic background of the Borgia family and Renaissance Italy to lower the cost of understanding.
Write down the character relationships on paper for reference at any time, avoiding confusion of plot due to similar names.
Read a small section each day; when encountering long sentences, grasp the main structure first and then review the modifiers, ensuring quality of understanding.
After finishing, look back at the opening chapters to appreciate the author's echoes in characterization.

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

Is this book in German or English?

This is the original German edition, a free Project Gutenberg ebook. Readers with insufficient German reading experience may need a dictionary or translation for support to understand the text smoothly.

Do I need to know the history of the Borgia family first?

You do not need to read historical sources in advance, but understanding the political landscape of Renaissance Italy and the basic outline of the Borgia family will help you enter the characters' situations faster and reduce unfamiliarity at the beginning.

Is this book suitable as German learning material?

It is suitable for readers with intermediate to advanced German who want to improve language sense through literary works. Its style leans toward the nineteenth century, with many long sentences, so it is not recommended for German beginners as direct intensive reading material.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Conrad Ferdinand Meyer Author · Swiss · 1825–1898

Conrad Ferdinand Meyer (1825–1898) was a Swiss poet and novelist, born in Zurich and died in Kilchberg. He is known for his historical novellas and poetry, with representative works including Huttens letzte Tage, Die Versuchung des Pescara, Die Hochzeit des Mönchs, Angela Borgia, Das Leiden eines Knaben and Die Richterin; eight of his works are held in this collection. His writings draw largely on the Renaissance and the Reformation, paying close attention to historical atmosphere and psychological portrayal, with concise language and firm structure. He stands out in nineteenth-century German-language literature and is regarded as one of the representative writers of Swiss literature. Public information on his early life and education is limited, so no speculation is offered here.