Romola

Romola is a historical novel written by George Eliot and published in several installments between 1862 and 1863. Of quite extensive length, it is George Eliot's first foray into the genre of historical fiction.

In this long story set in 15th century Florence, where treachery and conspiracy are around every corner, we learn the story of Romola Bardi, daughter of a blind scholar, who falls in love with the young and handsome Greek Tito Melema.

Tito, following his ambition and lust for power, will perform actions of dubious morality that, instead of redeeming himself, he will try to justify to convince himself that he has made the right decision and will enter a spiral of self-deception, lies and betrayals.

"More than three centuries and a half ago, in the mid spring-time of 1492, we are sure that the angel of the dawn, as he travelled with broad slow wing from the Levant to the Pillars of Hercules, and from the summits of the Caucasus across all the snowy Alpine ridges to the dark nakedness of the Western isles, saw nearly the same outline of firm land and unstable sea — saw the same great mountain shadows on the same valleys as he has seen to-day — saw olive mounts, and pine forests, and the broad plains green with young corn or rain-freshened grass — saw the domes and spires of cities rising by the river-sides or mingled with the sedge-like masts on the many-curved sea-coast, in the same spots where they rise to-day..."