Forse tu Sola hai Compreso" Lettere di Eleonora Duse a Emma Lodomez Garzes edited by Marianna Zannoni

 "Forse tu Sola hai Compreso"

Lettere di Eleonora Duse a Emma Lodomez Garzes edited by Marianna Zannoni is a new book by Marsilio introducing us a character that has been legendary, remarkable and known in the entire world. This time Eleonora Duse is seeing and "read" through the perspective of correspondence. 

At that time, the end of the XIX and the advent of the XX century this one was an activity prevalent in a daily base in the existence of the so-called elite. 

as also many other people had a lot of correspondents everywhere; in this book the attention is focused on that female correspondents who made the difference: and in particular in the character of Emma Lodomez Garzes. A friendship this one long 40 years and that permit us of understand much better feelings, emotions, and the same existence of Eleonora Duse. 

The two will become very good friends when the husband of Emma killed himself. After that sad episode the two will start a long correspondence. Eleonora sounded at first happy for what he was doing, but later she will also report to her friend her love for D'Annunzio with which she cooperated at long; a love-story lived with intensity. When ended, it left Eleonora destroyed, devastated for the pain, and the phrase, "Forse tu Sola hai Compreso" maybe just you understood my feelings, was referred at the sadness she proved.

The beginning of the first world war meant to her a profound sadness because she couldn't reach her relatives in UK, revealing us the feelings for our soldiers. "We have empty words, while they fight for us." She will return to work, after the first world conflict with a renewal enthusiasm. The last letter sent to Emma the year before his departure in the United States in april 21 1924, in a tournee with the show La Porta Chiusa. The news meant also for American people, and the rest of the world a big shock.

You find also postcards, pictures inserted in a special chapters and then enjoy, really enjoy this correspondence.

Yes let me add that thus one is not maybe the best correspondence that you can read if you search fur profundity, big thoughts. Eleonora is not Colette, Sylvia Beach or Stead. Eleonora didn't tend to write long letters and she had an original writing-style as you will see: she didn't love to writing about abstract topics; she was a lady pretty concreet, and sometimes I can't tell to you, my reader, that these ones are proper letters; some of them are telegraphic notes, quick, because cards sent for announcing her arrival in the city for example or for other reasons; other ones are pretty short ones. 

It's anyway an interesting correspondence because let us know much better this immense past character with more attention.

Highly recommended book, fascinating cover.

I thank Marsilio for the physical copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori