Description
1976 Bantam edition. Paperback cover has significant wear, scuffs, small marks and stains, and bending. Spine has significant reading creases and wear. Pages have some marks but largely are clean and the binding is secure.
This well-loved copy of Tennessee Williams’ final novel, “The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone,” offers a glimpse into the later years of the renowned American playwright. Published in 1950, the book explores the themes of aging, desire, and the clash between European and American cultures through the story of a wealthy, aging widow who travels to Rome and becomes entangled with a young Italian gigolo.
Despite its worn condition, this edition holds significant literary value as a work by one of the 20th century’s most celebrated dramatists. Williams, known for his searing examinations of human frailty and desire in plays like “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” brought his trademark psychological depth and poetic language to this novella.
The book’s Roman setting also offers insights into the city’s allure for American expatriates and tourists in the post-war era, reflecting the cultural tensions and fascinations that arose as the two nations rebuilt their relationship. For collectors and readers alike, this edition presents an opportunity to engage with a lesser-known but compelling work by a literary giant, bearing the physical marks of its well-traveled journey through the hands of previous owners.