The Gadfly by Ethel Voynich

Description

The Gadfly is a novel by Ethel Voynich, first published in 1897. The book centres on the life of the protagonist, Arthur Burton, a member of the Youth movement, and his antagonist Padre Montanelli. Arthur becomes a journalist, expounding radical ideas in brilliant satirical tracts published under the pseudonym 'the gadfly'. The local authorities are soon dedicated to capturing him. A thread of a tragic relationship also develops between Arthur and his love, Gemma. With the central theme of the book being the nature of a true revolutionary, The Gadfly was exceptionally popular in the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China and Iran, exerting a large cultural influence. Apparently, the character of Arthur Burton was based on real life Russian agent, Sidney Reilly, with whom Voynich had an affair with.

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