The Gadfly

The Gadfly is a novel by Ethel Lilian Voynich, released in 1897. Set in 1840s Italy under the control of Austria, a time of considerable revolt and uprisings, the story focuses on the life of the main character Arthur Burton as a member of the Youth movement and the antagonist of the story Padre Montanelli.



A story of a tragic relationship between Arthur and his love Gemma runs through the book at the same time. It is a tale of disillusionment, revolution, faith, romance, and heroism. The story primarily deals with the culture of revolution and revolutionaries. THe protagonist Arthur, the Gadfly, is a manifestation of the tragic Romantic hero, who returns from abandonment as he comes of age, and discovers his true state in the world and struggles against the injustices of the current one.