The Italian Week 8: Chapter 9 to end of book

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

So we have arrived at the end of the very dramatic The Italian by Ann Radcliffe.

The Marchesa has died due to natural causes.
The Marchese has achieved Vivaldi's release from prison.
Ellena discovers that her mother is Olivia, her dear friend.
Olivia is reunited with her daughter and has a good life in the convent in Naples.

Schedoni and Nicola both die due to poison Schedoni had hidden on his person.

Ellena discovers that Schedoni is not her father after all. The Marchese is much happier to consent to his son's marriage with her after learning this news.

And so they are married!

One last question: Just who was the monk seeking asylum in the church at the beginning of the story?

Thanks to everyone who accompanied me on our reading journey!

And to those who haven't had a chance to read the book yet--enjoy the ride! It's a roller coaster.

[Lori, Moderator]

I'm inclined to go along with the original narrator's assertion that this monk had nothing to do with this particular story. But it was hard to keep all the monks straight, as there were at least 4 involved in the plot and they weren't always mentioned by name.

Olivia being Ellena's mother was a huge surprise for me. When Olivia told Ellena she looked like a friend of hers, I wrongly assumed that friend was female, and hence, that Olivia was a friend or relative of Ellena's mother. But evidently Olivia meant her late husband and Ellena's father.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I guessed right about Ellena's mother, since I did watch soap operas in my much younger years with little ones at home.
I'm just glad that the child that Olivia bore to Schedoni died as a little one. It's life would have been a misery.

[Renee]

Or maybe fatherhood would have redeemed him.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

Renee wrote: "Or maybe fatherhood would have redeemed him."

We'll never know.

[Renee]

I don’t think that’s the way Radcliffe was leaning, but when he thought Ellena was his daughter he did and said things that made it possible for her to survive and have her happy ending.

I thought the ending was pretty convoluted and kept having to revisit parts. Overall, it was a fun read because of the roller coaster. I never knew what direction the next turn would take us.

[Nancy]

I was also pleased that there was a happy ending, but I too found getting to the end of the story was a convoluted path. Radcliffe did a poor job of distinguishing between the various monks and relied far too much on convenient surprises. Still, it was a fun read and a good choice for our group.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

It was convoluted towards the end. I had to read the scene where Schedoni and Nicola died to make sure they were both dead.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I'm glad that this was a fun read for those who read it.
It had nothing remotely in common with the real world!

[Rafael]

It was quite an ending!

I believe I missed something, because it was a surprise when the Marchesa appeared ill. I was approaching the ending expecting to know who was the monk at the beginning just to discover that it was just a bit of context (that was not important for the plot) but ok. We (those who didn't knew it yet) could learn that.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

It was a surprise to me too, Rafael. The Marchesa seemed to be made of stone.

[Frances, Moderator]

I agree, this was quite the rollercoaster, and I realize that I'm not a particular fan of the gothic/horror/emotional overload genre! Paolo in particular was really getting on my nerves by the end, particularly as his emotional incontinence put him and those who had helped him, including the guard he escaped with and Vivaldi himself, at risk on several occasions. I also despair of women who faint in times of danger or distress.

The insights into the Inquisition were interesting, and I hadn't realized it had been such a force in Italy as well-we hear about the Spanish Inquisition but perhaps it was widespread throughout the Christian world at the time-horrifying really.

Thanks Rosemarie for proposing and leading this read, and to all for an interesting discussion-it really helped to have a chance to get the story straight in my mind every 60 pages or so!

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

You're welcome, Frances.