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Venice Saved

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( 117 ratings, 21 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Venice Saved, the only play by French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil, explores themes of tragedy, affliction, and compassion. Set in 1618, it follows a failed plot by Spanish mercenaries to sack Venice, foiled when conspirator Jaffier betrays them out of love for the city's beauty. The play offers a unique insight into Weil’s philosophical reflections on truth, justice, and the nature of tragedy.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This volume is ideal for readers interested in philosophy, tragedy, and historical drama, as well as those who appreciate Simone Weil’s thought and mystical writings. It also suits scholars and students studying 20th-century philosophy, theatre, and literary translations.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Towards the end of her life, the French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil (1909-43) was working on a tragedy, Venice Saved. Appearing here in English for the first time, this play explores the realisation of Weil’s own thoughts on tragedy. A figure of affliction, a central theme in Weil's religious metaphysics, the central character offers a unique insight into Weil’s broader philosophical interest in truth and justice, and provides a fresh perspective on the wider conception of tragedy itself.

The play depicts the plot by a group of Spanish mercenaries to sack Venice in 1618 and how it fails when one conspirator, Jaffier, betrays them to the Venetian authorities, because he feels compassion for the city's beauty.

The edition includes notes on the play by the translators as well as introductory material on: the life of Weil; the genesis and purport of the play; Weil and the tragic; the issues raised by translating Venice Saved. With additional suggestions for further reading, the volume opens up an area of interest and research: the literary Weil.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Critics praise Venice Saved for its exploration of force, power, and beauty. Lucian Stone highlights its moral and political insights, while A. Rebecca Rozelle-Stone notes the play’s enduring relevance amid modern social and political turmoil. The translation is commended for its readability and the play’s universal themes of violence, friendship and affliction resonate strongly beyond its historical setting.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781350043909

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 13 June 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic

Contributors:

  • Translated by Silvia Caprioglio Panizza
  • Translated by Philip Wilson

Audience: Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 180g

Pages: 144

About the Author

Simone Weil was a French philosopher, mystic and activist.

Silvia Panizza is Lecturer in Ethics at the Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, UK.

Philip Wilson is Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies at the University of East Anglia, UK.

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