Our Ancestors (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Italo Calvino
- First Published: 1952
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Satire
- Time of Work: Middle Ages to early nineteenth century
- Setting: Europe
- Principal Characters: Viscount Medardo of Terralba, Doctor Trelawney, Pamela, , Cosimo Piovasco Di Rondo, Enea Silvio Carrega, Violante, Gian dei Brughi, Ursula, , Agilulf, Raimbaud of Rousillon, Bradamante, Torrismund of Cornwall, Sophronia
- Genres: Long fiction, Fable, Fantasy
- Subjects: France or French people, Love or romance, Nature, Eighteenth century, Good and evil, Legends, Wit or humor, Fantasy, Symbolism, Adventure, Enlightenment, Trees, Italy or Italians, Eccentrics or eccentricities, Middle Ages, Knights or knighthood, Nobility, Chivalry, Eighth century
- Locales: France, Italy
The Story:
The Cloven Viscount. The idealistic Viscount Medardo went to fight for Christendom against the Turks in Bohemia and was awarded the rank of lieutenant by the Holy Roman Emperor. In his first battle, he charged a cannon and was blown apart; the surgeons managed to save the right half of his body and sent him home, but he soon became deeply embittered and was increasingly disposed to terrible acts of cruelty. He placed traps on his estate, nearly causing the deaths of his nephew (the story’s narrator) and his nephew’s tutor, the amiable Dr. Trelawney. The...
[The entire page is 2516 words long]
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