17 h 27 minAudiobook7 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 must a man who has lived for centuries give up to love?
In Naples, a calm, wealthy stranger draws every eye. Zanoni looks young, yet belongs to an ancient brotherhood with powers over nature and the mind. When he is drawn to Viola Pisani, a gifted young singer, ordinary human love becomes a test of his extraordinary life.
His elder companion, Mejnour, holds that wisdom demands detachment. Clarence Glyndon, a restless English painter, longs for higher knowledge but struggles to master himself. In Edward Bulwer-Lytton's Gothic romance, their desires unfold across Italy and France as the old order breaks apart. The question grows sharper: can great knowledge leave room for kindness?
What you’ll discover
- Love against secret wisdom Follow Zanoni as his feelings for Viola challenge the demands of his ancient order.
- The hunger for greatness Meet Glyndon, whose talent and ambition outpace his willingness to submit to discipline.
- A colder path Encounter Mejnour, who sees detachment as essential to wisdom and sets trials for those he teaches.
- Gothic mystery and marvels Enter a world of hidden brotherhoods, strange gifts, and knowledge beyond ordinary human reach.
- Questions worth lingering over Consider whether a mind can rise above others without losing its warmth toward them.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers who enjoy Gothic fiction, occult lore and Victorian storytelling with big ideas. It rewards patience with long speeches and a slow build. If you want brisk modern plotting, you may find it heavy going.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A stranger comes to Naples
- Two men who do not grow old
- Glyndon wants power without discipline
- Love becomes the great test
- What the novel is really about
- How the book is told
Who’s who
- ZanoniA calm, gifted man of great age and a member of an ancient brotherhood, he feels drawn to ordinary human love.
- Viola PisaniA young Neapolitan singer of rare talent and warm heart, she wants love, a home and an understanding of the man who watches over her.
- MejnourZanoni's elder companion in the brotherhood, he believes wisdom needs detachment and teaches only those who can bear its trials.
- Clarence GlyndonA talented but vain young English painter who longs for higher knowledge and for Viola, and who struggles to master himself.
- PisaniViola's father, an old musician who writes strange, difficult music and lives in poverty, devoted to his art and his daughter.
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- Audiobook
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- 15-minute summary
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- 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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Language: English
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
A stranger comes to Naples
The story opens in Naples, where a mysterious man named Zanoni draws attention wherever he goes. He is rich, calm and strangely gifted. People who meet him feel that he sees more than he says. He seems young, yet something in his manner suggests great age.
Among those who notice him is Viola Pisani, a young singer with a rare voice. She is the daughter of Pisani, an old musician who writes strange, difficult music and lives on the edge of poverty. Viola has grown up among sounds and dreams, and she is open to wonder in a way that more worldly people are not.
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The author
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
1803–1873 · English novelist and politician
Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803–1873) was a British novelist, playwright and politician. He was born in London and lived at Knebworth House in Hertfordshire. His novels include Paul Clifford (1830), The Last Days of Pompeii (1834), Zanoni (1842) and The Coming Race (1871). He served in Parliament and died in Torquay.
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What is Zanoni about?
Zanoni follows a man of great age who belongs to a secret brotherhood and who falls in love with a young singer in Naples. It weighs love, knowledge and ambition against the backdrop of revolutionary Europe.
What is the Dweller of the Threshold in Zanoni?
It is a dark presence that haunts a seeker who tries to enter the unseen world before he is ready. It stands for his own fears and faults, made terrifyingly real.
Who is Mejnour in Zanoni?
Mejnour is an older member of the same ancient brotherhood as Zanoni. He is stern and detached, and he believes that strong feeling clouds wisdom, so he often warns his friend.
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