Valperga

Valperga is a historical novel written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, the author of Frankenstein. The novel is set in 14th-century Italy and follows the story of two characters: Castruccio, a military leader who seeks to unite Italy under his rule, and Euthanasia, the Countess of Valperga who is torn between her loyalty to Castruccio and her love for another man.As Castruccio rises to power, he becomes increasingly ruthless and begins to alienate those around him, including Euthanasia. Meanwhile, Euthanasia must navigate the political and social complexities of her time while also struggling with her own desires and loyalties.The novel explores themes of power, love, loyalty, and betrayal, and offers a nuanced portrayal of medieval Italy. Shelley's prose is evocative and poetic, and her characters are complex and compelling. Valperga is a gripping and thought-provoking novel that will appeal to fans of historical fiction and classic literature.His fancy only paused, when he would force it to adorn with beauty vice, death, and misery, when disguised by a kingly robe, by the trappings of a victorious army, or the false halo of glory spread over the smoking ruins of a ravaged town. Then his heart sickened, and the banners of triumph or the song of victory could not drive from his recollection the varieties of death, and the groans of torture that occasion such exultation to the privileged murderers of the earth.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.