The Love Potion

The stories and tales of Stendhal, the author of the acclaimed novel "The Red and the Black", often remain in the shadow of his "great prose". Meanwhile, he has written many brilliant novellas, full of movement, with unexpected, energetic conclusions.... In these small-scale works, Stendhal's love for strong and temperamental characters is particularly apparent, for whom passion is almost irresistible and instantly turns into action, serving as the engine of the plot, as seen, for example, in many novellas from the "Italian Chronicles" included in this edition. The chronicles are based on ancient manuscripts from the 16th to the 18th centuries. In most cases, they are stories of bandits, conspirators, and rebels, filled with themes of love, jealousy, and revenge. Some of the chronicles ("Vittoria Accoramboni", "Duchess di Palliaro") are fairly accurate adaptations of the old manuscripts, while others ("Suora Scolastica", "Excessive Favor is Destructive") are their free reworkings. At the same time, Stendhal's works always retain originality and a unique narrative style, presenting events in a new, dramatic, and captivating light.