{"product_id":"amore-dure-passages-from-vernon-lee-9781447405627","title":"Amore Dure - Passages From the Diary of Spiridion Trepka; With a Dedication by Amy Levy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLove Endures: Hard love. A fatal obsession with a beautiful ghost.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis seminal work of supernatural fiction, penned by the brilliant writer and intellectual Vernon Lee (Violet Paget, 1856-1935), is a cornerstone of the Edwardian ghost story tradition, blending historical scholarship with psychological and spectral terror.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe story is presented as the diary entries of Spiridion Trepka, a young, ardent Polish scholar. Spiridion travels to the fictional Italian town of Urbania to research the archives and connect with the glorious, romantic past of Italy he so passionately adores.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHis research quickly derails as he becomes fatally captivated by the story of Medea da Carpi, a real-life 16th-century noblewoman. Medea was a celebrated beauty whose reputation as a ruthless \u003cem\u003efemme fatale\u003c\/em\u003e was cemented by the violent, sudden deaths of every man who ever loved her. She was ultimately executed at the age of 27.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpiridion's obsession deepens when he discovers her portrait, bearing the chilling motto, \"Amour Dure--Dure Amour\" (Love endures--Hard love). Neglecting his work, he descends into a vortex of fevered fantasy, convinced he is communing with Medea's spirit. When he receives letters written in her hand, guiding him toward a dark act of historical vengeance, he must choose between sanity and the terrifying promise of eternal love from a vengeful, centuries-old specter.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAmore Dure\u003c\/em\u003e is not just a ghost story; it is a chilling exploration of the destructive power of the past, the fine line between historical scholarship and mental breakdown, and the ultimate, fatal price of obsessive desire.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Vernon Lee\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1447405625\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781447405627\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Fantasy and Horror Classics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/04\/2011\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 52\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.17lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.12d","brand":"Vernon Lee","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48217364758783,"sku":"9781447405627","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_a2586886-cb9a-47b6-adaf-4bf5c0bccf9f.jpg?v=1771996768","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/amore-dure-passages-from-vernon-lee-9781447405627","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}