9 h 47 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What happens when a man who excuses his own betrayals cannot bear his wife's?
In Gabriele D'Annunzio's The Intruder, Tullio Hermil is wealthy, cultured, and certain that ordinary rules do not bind him. He cheats on his gentle wife, Giuliana, and seeks escape with Teresa Raffo. When Giuliana falls seriously ill, fear shakes him, and love seems possible again.
Then Tullio learns that Giuliana has had an affair and is expecting another man's child. The peace he hopes to recover gives way to wounded pride. Told entirely through his confession, this short novel brings you close to a troubled mind whose polished explanations make his account harder, not easier, to trust.
What you’ll discover
- A confession without comfort Enter Tullio's account and weigh the distance between his fine feelings and his actions.
- Love tangled with pride Watch renewed tenderness struggle against a husband's refusal to accept the betrayal he excuses in himself.
- An uneasy family home Feel what is at stake for Giuliana and the daughters Tullio risks hurting.
- The child at the center See how an expected baby becomes the focus of Tullio's wounded pride.
- The language of self-deception Follow calm, polished prose as Tullio turns explanation into another way of flattering himself.
Who will love it
For readers who love dark, close studies of one troubled mind, and fans of Dostoevsky or French psychological fiction. Pride, jealousy, guilt and self-deception shape this intimate portrait of a husband who thinks himself above ordinary rules.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A husband who thinks he is free
- Illness brings love back to life
- A secret in the house
- The child who does not belong
- Pride, guilt and the cost of self-deception
- How the novel is told
Who’s who
- Tullio HermilThe narrator, a proud and cultured Roman who thinks himself above ordinary rules and who looks back on his own actions.
- Giuliana HermilTullio's gentle wife, a mother of two girls, whose patience and goodness he once took for granted.
- Teresa RaffoTullio's mistress, a worldly, passionate woman whom he sees as an escape from the quiet of his marriage.
- Federico HermilTullio's brother, who looks after the family land, stays steady in the family crisis and is the one person Tullio confides in.
- Filippo ArborioA admired writer of Tullio's social world, whose connection with Giuliana sets the whole drama in motion.
- Maria and NataliaThe Hermil daughters, young children whose presence reminds Tullio of the family he risks.
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- Audiobook
- 9 h 47 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 8 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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El intruso
by Gabriele D'Annunzio · 1892
Tullio Hermil excuses his own betrayals, but his wife's pregnancy puts his pride and his family at risk.
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In short
The Intruder is a short novel by the Italian writer Gabriele D'Annunzio. It first appeared in 1892 under the Italian title L'innocente, which means The Innocent One.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A husband who thinks he is free
The novel opens in the mind of Tullio Hermil, who belongs to the comfortable upper class of Rome. He is cultured, restless and proud of his own intelligence. He is married to Giuliana, a gentle woman who has borne him two daughters, Maria and Natalia. Tullio believes that a man like himself should not be bound by the small rules that govern others.
His chief proof of this belief is his mistress, Teresa Raffo. She is a woman of strong appetite and a quick, worldly manner. Tullio has taken up with her openly enough that Giuliana knows of the affair. Yet he tells himself that he has never stopped caring for his wife in a higher and purer way. This is the first sign that he is a man who excuses himself.
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What is The Intruder by D'Annunzio about?
It is about Tullio Hermil, a wealthy Roman who has cheated on his wife and then learns she has been unfaithful. Her pregnancy brings his jealousy and pride to a dark pitch, and he tells the story himself.
What does the title The Intruder mean?
The Italian title is L'innocente, meaning the innocent one. The English title, The Intruder, stresses how Tullio sees the coming child, as a stranger forced into his home and name.
When was The Intruder written and is it a true story?
It was published in 1892 and is a work of fiction. D'Annunzio wrote it in the style of the psychological novel then popular in Europe, and it is not an account of real events.
The author
Gabriele D'Annunzio
1863–1938 · Italian poet and novelist
Gabriele D’Annunzio (1863–1938) was an Italian novelist, poet and playwright. He was born in Pescara and died in Gardone Riviera. His novels include The Child of Pleasure (1889), The Triumph of Death (1894) and The Flame (1900). He also served as a soldier during the First World War.
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