
A vivid, lyrical journey begins along Sicily’s glittering Ionian coast, where the sea shimmers like a fire‑opal and the night sky is ruled by Sirius and Orion. The narrator’s prose swirls between the radiant sunsets over Etna’s smoky crown and the humble olive‑groves that cling to its lower slopes, inviting listeners to feel the pull of both the familiar landscape and the mythic “pedestal of heaven” that lies beyond. Rich, color‑filled illustrations accompany each step, capturing the contrast between the bright villages and the volcanic majesty that seems to both inspire and unsettle.
From the bustling ports of Palermo the travelogue turns westward, tracing the hidden coves and rugged cliffs of Sardinia. Along the way, the author weaves together observations of ancient ruins, local customs, and the restless sea that seems to demand movement. The narrative’s blend of personal reflection and vivid description offers a sensory portrait of two islands where history, nature, and imagination converge.
Language
en
Duration
~7 hours (423K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Charlene Taylor, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
2011-08-26
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1885–1930
A fierce, searching voice of English literature, this novelist and poet wrote with unusual candor about love, class, desire, and the strain modern life puts on the human spirit. His books still feel alive because they push past manners and convention to ask what it really means to live fully.
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