Rating: 
Summary: THE masterpiece of Italian literature, for good reason
Review: Manzoni's The Betrothed (I Promessi Sposi) is generally consideredtobe the greatest Italian novel of all time. I read it aloudto my 9-year-old daughter and we were both enthralled. It is set in the environs of Milan in the early 17th century (it was written in the 18th century). The framing story concerns young lovers whose marriage is thwarted by a local nobelman/ petty tyrant in order to win a bet. Subordinate stories range from political, economic and biographical analyses of the times to a vivid, eye-opening description of a plague outbreak and the official denial that exacerbated it. Penman's English translation is superb.
Rating:
Summary: Must reading for Italian students
Review: My Italian wife "demanded" that I read this book. Then she was amazed that I found the story so exciting and the history so interesting. Most Italians are required to read it in school as it is the book which established "Italian" as the official language of Italy and it is extremely well written in Italian. This translation makes the story seem like a modern adventure.
Rating:
Summary: Must reading for Italian students
Review: My Italian wife "demanded" that I read this book. Then she was amazed that I found the story so exciting and the history so interesting. Most Italians are required to read it in school as it is the book which established "Italian" as the official language of Italy and it is extremely well written in Italian. This translation makes the story seem like a modern adventure.
Rating:
Summary: The best adventure love story I've ever read!
Review: The start of the book was a little slow, however,the author quickly caught my attention with his intimate detailing of each character, as well as their interactions with one another. There was something for everyone in this book: Love, Religion, Adventure, Insight, and Intrigue. I was amazed at how the author managed to merge fiction and non-fiction together in a seemless fashion producing a very believable plot. I total, I highly recommend this book. I might even read it again.
Rating: 
Summary: timeless, well written, nonetheless overrated
Review: This book is, if I am not mistaken, considered one of the greatest pieces of Italian literature. The characters are enjoyably human, the pace keeps you interested, and the writer paints an excellent picture of the times. You see renaissance Italy with its plagues, religious uproar, and swaggering bravos. Since religion is a very emotional issue for me, I was tempted to give the book a three or two rating. In fairness, it deserves at least the four I gave it. It describes the period beautifully and gives perfect exemplars for many different modes of behavior. Here are my criticisms. If you haven't read the story, these will spoil it, so have a care. I have three: First, the conversion of the master villian struck me as horrendously done. He is touched by the innocent pleading and prayers of his victim. Personally, I find it laughable that a man of such black reputation has never encountered similar circumstances before. Why should this person's naive pleas for clemency be any different? Second, the conversion of the Unnamed can be compared to Darth Vader's salvation at the end of the film Return of the Jedi. Everyone is ecstatic over the redemption of this evil figure, only because of his power and charisma. Just as no one cared for the other 100,000 troops that died on the Death Star, the bishop who visits the new convert spares a paltry few words for all of his underlings and their spiritual welfare. The bishop does not visit them. The people are not thankful when they convert. We are thrilled when an archvillian switches allegiances, but like Manzoni, we couldn't care less about the salvation of any of his lesser followers. This supposed Christian triumph is in fact only an illustration of human fascination with power. Third, the reason for The Betrothed to marry despite the lady's promise to become a nun is absurd. What if their betrothal had not been official? Would God be so cruel as to hold her to a promise made while she was fearful for her life? That vow, like any other promise made under duress, cannot have been valid. I hope you'll forgive my rant. The story is a testament to its time and certainly one of the better books I had to suffer through during college. :)
Rating:
Summary: timeless, well written, nonetheless overrated
Review: This book is, if I am not mistaken, considered one of the greatest pieces of Italian literature. The characters are enjoyably human, the pace keeps you interested, and the writer paints an excellent picture of the times. You see renaissance Italy with its plagues, religious uproar, and swaggering bravos. Since religion is a very emotional issue for me, I was tempted to give the book a three or two rating. In fairness, it deserves at least the four I gave it. It describes the period beautifully and gives perfect exemplars for many different modes of behavior. Here are my criticisms. If you haven't read the story, these will spoil it, so have a care. I have three: First, the conversion of the master villian struck me as horrendously done. He is touched by the innocent pleading and prayers of his victim. Personally, I find it laughable that a man of such black reputation has never encountered similar circumstances before. Why should this person's naive pleas for clemency be any different? Second, the conversion of the Unnamed can be compared to Darth Vader's salvation at the end of the film Return of the Jedi. Everyone is ecstatic over the redemption of this evil figure, only because of his power and charisma. Just as no one cared for the other 100,000 troops that died on the Death Star, the bishop who visits the new convert spares a paltry few words for all of his underlings and their spiritual welfare. The bishop does not visit them. The people are not thankful when they convert. We are thrilled when an archvillian switches allegiances, but like Manzoni, we couldn't care less about the salvation of any of his lesser followers. This supposed Christian triumph is in fact only an illustration of human fascination with power. Third, the reason for The Betrothed to marry despite the lady's promise to become a nun is absurd. What if their betrothal had not been official? Would God be so cruel as to hold her to a promise made while she was fearful for her life? That vow, like any other promise made under duress, cannot have been valid. I hope you'll forgive my rant. The story is a testament to its time and certainly one of the better books I had to suffer through during college. :)
Rating:
Summary: Don't confuse Manzoni's book with Elliott's
Review: This is merely to point out that reviews of Manzoni's "The Betrothed" are hopelessly intertangled with reviews of of Elizabeth Elliott's "Betrothed". Manzoni's book might be the best novel ever written, with stiff competition for this prize, however, from Sigrid Undset's "Kristin Lavransdatter". Eliott's book is of the romance genre. I haven't read it but feel bold enough to state that it's not even in the same class as the Manzoni book. Maybe, at least, an amazon.com staffer can sort out the reviews and assign them accordingly.
Rating:
Summary: Simply great
Review: This is the most famous book in Italian literature. Most students hate it, but their opinion just doesn't count because for them it is but brutal forced reading. Manzoni's "The Betrothed" can be enjoyed on various levels. In the first place, it is packed with action: there's the good guy, the imperiled damsel, the arch-villain, the saintly friar and various comic characters like the cowardly priest and his spinster-servant. The plot is tipically Nineteenth Century: the loving couple can't get married because the arch-villain gets in their way and starts all the tribulations. On the other hand, the whole plot can be seen as a religious parable (and that is why students hate this book: they are forced to see the whole matter from this point of view ONLY.) on Providence. Thirdly, the book can be seen as an authoritative historical text about the Sixteenth Century. Unlike his colleague Walter Scott, whose Middle Ages look like a Hollywood movie starring Liz Taylor, Manzoni wrote "The Betrothed" after a serious hystorical reserach: almost every episode is historically based and he made use of Sixteenth-century chronicles and laws as a basis for his story's context. On top of this, the characters aren't mere literary creations. They are alive and pop out of every page as living creatures with all their humanity. Everything in them denounces Manzoni as a keen observer of the human heart. I highly recommend this book. Buy it and enjoy it!
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece in world literature
Review: This is THE NOVEL par excellence.
Read it you'll be fascinated by the plot, the descriptions, the chracters and you'll learn something of how Europe was working.
A strong buy !!
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece of Historical Fiction
Review: Twenty years ago I went through a graduate program in Comparative Literature and read literally thousands of novels, plays, poems, etc. Of all that I read then, The Betrothed (I Promessi Sposi) is one of the few works that stand out. Scott, Hugo, and other novelists were familiar, but Manzoni was a new name to me then. He has become a favorite companion in the ensuing years. I am currently reading this novel for the 7th or 8th time (lost count). Written with compassion and humor, Manzoni offers an enthralling story of a peasant couple swept up in the political, social and religious turmoil of early 17th century Italy. There are many subplots involving characters of every rank and station, all vividly portrayed. What brings me back to this novel repeatedly are: 1) the author's masterful handling of plot--everything fits and flows (super)naturally; and 2) his ability to capture the beauty, wonder and horror of life in eloquent and moving prose. It is a mystery why this novel is not better known in the U.S.
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