Description

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This unconventional, bestselling historical romance from the National Book Award-winning author of In America touches on themes of sex and revolution, the fate of nature, art and the collector's obsessions, and, above all, love.

Immerse yourself in the various hues of 18th century Naples brought to life in The Volcano Lover. Susan Sontag audaciously unfolds the intertwined lives of the esteemed Sir William Hamilton, his illustrious wife Emma and the valiant Lord Nelson. Set within a vibrant historical tapestry, the narrative is studded with luminaries of the epoch.

Going beyond the boundaries of a traditional historical romance, it delves into deeper intellectual terrains. Inspired by figures from the annals of history, Sontag imparts them with a vibrancy that transcends the pages.

Experience the raw power of Vesuvius that stands as an ever-looming symbol, reflecting the tumultuous lives at its foothills. With its unique blend of feminist themes and riveting storytelling, this book offers an invaluable addition to the canon of American literature.

About the Author

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Susan Sontag was the author of four novels, including The Benefactor, Death Kit, The Volcano Lover, and In America, which won the 2000 National Book Award for fiction; a collection of stories, I, etcetera; several plays, including Alice in Bed; and nine works of essays, among them On Photography, which won the National Books Critics Circle Award for criticism. In 2001, Sontag was awarded the Jerusalem Prize for the body of her work. She died in New York City in 2004.

Praise For…

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“A passionate and often radical novel of ideas that affords all the old-fashioned pleasures of a traditional historical novel.” —The New York Times

“A great novel. It repeatedly scales heights of complex thought, passion, and expression that few American writers ever approach, while reimagining a majestic love story in dazzling style.” —Philadelphia Inquirer

“A panoramic, passionately feminist examination of the changing shape of Western civilization since the Age of Enlightenment. Sontag's book is a sweeping, exquisitely detailed picture of Europe in the final decades of the eighteenth century.” —Chicago Sun-Times

“A slippery, intelligent, provocative, and gripping book.” —The Washington Post Book World

“A novel Susan Sontag was destined to write, a shift from the moral intelligence of the essayist to the intelligent heart of the novelist. To her admirers, the novel will only confirm her originality, and perhaps win over a whole new set of readers. For The Volcano Lover is not just a thinking woman's (or man's) historical romance but a sly, luminously insightful, provocative novel.” —The Nation

“A brilliant performance.” —Chicago Tribune

“An historical tour de force. This tale of eighteenth-century romance and revolution is certain to charm readers who enjoy the postmodern potboilers of Umberto Eco and A. S. Byatt.” —Kirkus Review