Rome and a Villa
“Rome and a Villa” by Eleanor Clark is a travel narrative published by HarperCollins on June 9, 1992. This first edition spans 376 pages and presents a series of sketches reflecting Roman life, inspired by Clark’s experiences in the city during the late 1940s. Initially intending to write a novel while on a Guggenheim fellowship, Clark instead captures the essence of Rome through her observations and reflections, revealing how the city influences the ambitions and identities of those who inhabit it.
Readers will find a rich exploration of Roman art and architecture, particularly through Clark’s examination of Hadrian’s Villa, which serves as a metaphor for the city’s complex character. The narrative delves into the paradoxes of Roman life, highlighting its chaotic beauty and the profound impact it has on visitors. The book also includes a final chapter that offers a poignant look at the Protestant cemetery, where notable figures like Keats and Shelley are laid to rest. This edition invites readers to experience the allure and intricacies of Rome through Clark’s unique perspective.
Official synopsis Publisher
In 1947 a young american woman named Eleanor Clark went to Rome on a Guggenheim fellowship to write a novel. But Rome had its way with her, the novel was abandoned, and what followed was not a novel but a series of sketches of Roman life, most written between 1948 and 1951. This new edition of her now classic book includes an evocative foreword by the eminent translator William Weaver, who was a close friend of the author’s and often wandered the city with her during the years she was working on Rome and a Villa.
Once in Rome, the foreign writer or artist, over the course of weeks, months, or years, begins to lose ambition, to lose a sense of urgency, to lose even a sense of self. What once seemed all-consuming is swallowed up by Rome&$8212;by the pace of life; by the fatalism of the Roman people, to whom everything and nothing matters; by the sheer historic weight and scale of the place. Rome is life itself—messy, random, anarchic, comical one moment, tragic the next, and above all, seductive.
Clark pays special attention to Roman art and architecture. In the book’s midsection she looks at Hadrian’s Villa—an enormous, unfinished palace—as a metaphor for the city itself: decaying, imperial, shabby, but capable of inducing an overwhelming dreaminess in its visitors. The book’s final chapter, written for an updated edition in 1974, is a lovely portrait of the so-called Protestant cemetery where Keats, Shelley, and other foreign notables are buried.
FAQ
What is “Rome and a Villa” about?
Who is the author of “Rome and a Villa”?
When was “Rome and a Villa” published?
What is the ISBN for “Rome and a Villa”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
