Summary of The Volcano Lover
“The Volcano Lover” is a romantic historical novel set in 18th-century Naples. It centres on Emma Hart (Lady Hamilton), a beauty from the lower classes in England, who unexpectedly marries the British ambassador to Naples, Lord Hamilton, a fervent art collector, and a frequent visitor to Mount Vesuvius. As she becomes the confidante of the queen of Naples, Emma embarks on a scandalous love affair with Lord Nelson, the British navy commander.
Reasons to read The Volcano Lover
“The Volcano Lover” is a perfect blend of history and passion, and a tribute to Naples in the late 1700s. The novel is largely based on historical facts. “The Volcano Lover” was praised as a “historical tour de force” by Kirkus Reviews, and “a powerful, intricate novel of ideas” by The Guardian. Susan Sontag was a renowned American writer and literary critic. Her best-known fictional works are “The Volcano Lover” and “In America”, the latter of which won the US National Book Award in 2000.
Setting: Naples & Mount Vesuvius (Italy)
Original title: The Volcano Lover
Year of publication: 1992
Nr of pages: 432
