Heavenly Rose

Author: Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: The entanglement of love and death has always been an enduring emotional theme in human history. Whether it is the Eastern "Liang Zhu" or the Western "Sleeping Beauty," they have all profoundly expressed people's longing for love to conquer death. But when we step out of the realm of myths and legends to seek truly moving love stories in the world, we discover that Elizabeth Barrett Browning's love possesses rare legend and perfection—her disabled limbs and sorrowful heart can be renewed in the glory of love, and she can then overcome all obstacles to flee to the sunny South of Europe, where she rests, gives birth, and finds companionship, eventually passing away peacefully in her lover's arms.
Tracing the footsteps of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's legendary love reveals a collection of sonnets that are "considered the masterpiece of sonnets in British literary history." These sonnets, written in exquisite and delicate language, vividly depict the ups and downs of their love story. Throughout their journey of love, millions of love letters accompanied them, ensuring their love was always bathed in sunshine.
Not to be overlooked is Browning's beloved dog, "Red Ball," which witnessed the entire process and even played an important role. Virginia Woolf, a pivotal figure in British and world literature, wrote the novel Red Ball. Using lively and spirited language, Woolf portrays Browning's life through the eyes of the dog, creating a unique biography of Browning's love.
This book is divided into three parts: Poetry, Letters, and Fiction, all with bilingual Chinese-English. Different beginnings lead to the same end, blending into a perfect masterpiece that rekindles the fragrance of a love rose from a century ago. It is a comprehensive testament to the love of Browning and her husband, encompassing all aspects of their love story. In addition to the heartwarming love sonnets by Browning, it includes selected love letters from both spouses, as well as Virginia Woolf's Red Ball, a work of equal significance in world literature.
Perhaps deeply moved by Browning and her husband's extraordinary love, Woolf, who had previously been consumed by despair, broke away from her usual somber tone and used a rare vibrancy and passion to depict Browning's dog, narrating the story of her masters' love from the dog's perspective. The selected love letters vividly capture the legendary tale of their courtship and elopement.
What deserves special attention is the renewed translation of the sonnets. Not only are they rhymed, but they are also written by a female translator, capturing the subtleties of a woman's heart through a woman's perspective. To ensure readers do not miss the brilliance, the sonnets are accompanied by the original English poems and richly decorated paper-cuttings with a Western romantic charm found in the original edition.
The design of the book is romantic and warm, with a purple rose and gold-embossed text on the cover, exuding a timeless masterpiece amidst elegance. The illustrations throughout the book are in a soft peach color, with paper-cuttings and precious self-portraits and handwriting by Browning. Through the pages, you will find that the unyielding rose blooms in paradise, and the fragrance of love once again nourishes the heart.