The Betrothed (1827) - Alessandro Manzoni

Written by Alessandro Manzoni
Read by Nicholas Boulton
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

The Betrothed (1827)
By: Alessandro Manzoni
Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
Length: 24 hrs and 39 mins
Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks, 2019

After the jealous tyrant Don Rodrigo foils their wedding, young Lombardian peasants Lucia and Lorenzo must separate and flee for their safety. Their difficult path to matrimony takes place against the turbulent backdrop of the Thirty Years War, where lawlessness and exploitation are at their height. Lucia takes refuge in a convent, where she is later abducted and taken on a nightmarish journey to a sinister castle, while Lorenzo goes to Milan, where he witnesses famine, riots, and plague - all evoked through meticulous description and with stunning immediacy. The Betrothed is a masterful example of historical fiction and remains one of the most famous novels in Italian literature.

The Betrothed (I promessi sposi) was first published in 1827, in three volumes. It has been called the most famous and widely read novel in the Italian language.

Set in northern Italy in 1628, during the oppressive years of direct Spanish rule, it is seen as a veiled attack on the Austrian Empire, which controlled the region at the time the novel was written (the definitive version was published in 1842). It is also noted for the extraordinary description of the plague that struck Milan around 1630.

It deals with a variety of themes, from the cowardly, hypocritical nature of one prelate (the parish priest don Abbondio) and the heroic sainthood of other priests (the friar Padre Cristoforo, the cardinal Federico Borromeo), to the unwavering strength of love (the relationship between Renzo and Lucia, and their struggle to finally meet again and be married), and offers some keen insights into the meanderings of the human mind.

I promessi sposi was made into an opera of the same name by Amilcare Ponchielli in 1856 and by Errico Petrella in 1869. There have been many film versions of I promessi sposi, including I promessi sposi (1908), The Betrothed (1941) The Betrothed (1990), and Renzo and Lucia, made for television in 2004.

Info via Wikipedia. Translation for audio not mentioned. Possibly Charles Swan.