Description

A vivid doorway into a city of longing and power, The Desire Of Life opens a window on Naples and its people that endures beyond fashion or trend. A late nineteenth century novel rendered with immediacy, it speaks in the clear, unflinching voice of a true italian literary classic. This restoration by Alpha Editions reanimates Matilde Serao's acute portrayals of urban life, where gender and desire collide with social class tensions and the rhythms of the bustling streets. It is more than a story of lives pushed to the brink; it is a masterclass in neapolitan social realism, revealing how ambition, vulnerability, and loyalty move through the city's mazes. For literary students and curious readers alike, the book offers both a compelling narrative and a careful study of character as social mirror, set against a Naples that feels remarkably immediate and alive. A landmark in neapolitan literature classics, the work holds historical resonance and continuing relevance, tracing the experiences of napolitans circa nineteenth century with honesty and empathy. Out of print for decades and now republished, it is restored for today's readers and future generations-more than a reprint, a collector's item and a cultural treasure that invites both reverence and fresh discovery. This is for casual readers and serious collectors who seek a rich, human glimpse of an Italian women writers tradition and a lasting chronicle of urban life and desire.