Publisher's Synopsis
The Gadfly is a novel written by Ethel Lilian Voynich, first published in 1897. The story is set in Italy during the mid-19th century and follows the life of Arthur Burton, a young man who is orphaned at a young age and raised by his uncle. Arthur becomes involved in political activism and joins a group of revolutionaries who are fighting for Italian unification and independence from Austria. Along the way, Arthur falls in love with a young woman named Gemma, but their relationship is complicated by their political beliefs and the dangers of their revolutionary activities. The novel explores themes of love, loyalty, betrayal, and the struggle for freedom and justice. The Gadfly has been widely popular and has been translated into numerous languages, becoming a classic of 19th-century literature.1906. The Gadfly is a highly romantic yet realistic treatment of risorgimento period in Italy concerning the activities of the international republican agent Arthur Burton who successfully eludes the Austro-Hungarian policy and contributes to the revolutionary cause culminating in the Italian uprising of 1848. Voynich, who was the daughter of George Boole, of Boolean mathematics fame, and Mary Everest Boole, a feminist writer, based this story of conspiracy in the Italian Risorgimento on the early life experiences of her boyfriend, Sidney Rosenblum (also known in Britain as Reilly Ace of Spies). The Gadfly remains as Voynich�������s greatest literary achievement.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
