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The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone New Directions Bibelot Tennessee Williams 9780811212496 Books

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The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone New Directions Bibelot Tennessee Williams 9780811212496 Books

John Lahr's new biography, "Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh" (2014) inspired me to read Williams' short novel, "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" (1950). Lahr discusses the novel at length in the context of Williams' life, together with many other works of this American writer.

Williams wrote "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" in the late 1940s while in Rome following the success of "A Streetcar Named Desire". His working title for the book was "Moon of Pause", a phrase used several times in the work to describe its heroine's condition. Williams wisely changed the title to its more evocative final version.

The story is set in post-WW II Rome at the time of Williams' visit. The book captures the ambience of the city in both the beauties of its past and in its difficulty and poverty at the time of Williams' stay, including the large presence of American tourists. The language of the novel is slow, deeply descriptive, poetic, and full of symbolism. The result is a book dense to read for all its brevity.

The primary character of the book, Karen Stone, is a widow in her early 50s who has lived in Rome for three years following the death of her wealthy husband. Mrs. Stone had been a popular actress but left the stage following a failure in middle-age as Juliet in Shakespeare's play. Mrs. Stone contends with the loss of her husband, the loss of her career, and the change of life. More broadly, she is concerned with aging and the loss of her beauty.

The story moves back and forth between Mrs. Stone's new life in Rome and her earlier life. Her marriage had never brought her sexual fulfillment. She had pursued her career with passion and force and a spirit of fierce competitiveness. Mrs. Stone could be ruthless against those whom she deemed stood in her way. With her husband's death and the end of her career, Mrs. Stone finds herself living in "a drift". She needs to learn and to pursue what she wants out of life.

Most of the book revolves around Mrs. Stone's affair with a young gigolo, Paolo. During her time in Rome, Mrs. Stone had used the services of a procuress, the Contessa, to bring her young men. She declined to become involved with the first three young men but became deeply attracted to Paolo. The young man, of course, attempts to bilk Mrs. Stone of her money but she sees through the scheme and tries to lead Paolo along for her own purposes. The relationship porceeds uneasily before its stormy conclusion. In the meantime, Mrs. Stone has been stalked by a strange, impoverished young man, one of many in the Rome of the time. When she and the gigolo part ways, Mrs. Stone is prepared to welcome the stalker, without introductions or knowledge, into her bed.

"The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone" is a beautifully told story about taking risks and about coming to terms with aging. The book gets its force from Williams emphasis on emotion and the consequences of its long repression. Mrs. Stone comes to know herself through an acknowledgement of her sexuality and a commitment to pursue it wherever it may lead at a point past mid-life. Some authors would use the conditions Williams' describes -- the feeling of emptiness and drift late in life -- as the basis for a religious or spiritual resolution. Williams' book echoes these themes, but Mrs Stone finds herself pursuing sexuality. Williams' quest -- the "mad pilgrimage of the flesh in Lahr's title -- is still both poignant and retains the quality of paradox if not the capacity to shock.

This highly internalized novel shows great insight into and feelings for its primary character. In its treatment of aging, "drift", and sexuality, the story touches universal themes that transcend Karen Stone. Readers interested in Tenessee Williams or in relatively neglected American novels will enjoy "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone."

Robin Friedman


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The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone New Directions Bibelot Tennessee Williams 9780811212496 Books Reviews

"Drifting" through life's truths, lies, and self deceptions. The interior life that we all wish to know and silently dread. The complexity of a character expressed in the simplest of terms through direct and honest prose. Williams reveals himself in the heart of a lonely woman. I read it through in one night and enjoyed it thoroughly. A must-read for true fans.
Aging? This is the book to read! The plot as well as the language are amazing and catching! It is about how a beauty is dealing with her older age.
Tennessee Williams' is masterful in this short novella of a woman who is struggling to come to terms both with the death of her husband and the lose of her looks to age. She looks for validation in the worst places, while covering herself up in the beauty of the Eternal City.

Short and sweet and most likely to be loved by people who love Rome -- as Tennessee himself did.
love his writing==couldn't put it down. Great story with a twist at the end. Do see the movie, as well, though. It is equally good.
Typical Tennessee Williams. A woman in a predicament, but this time it isn't economics or physical limitations that she grapples with. Not unlike Blanche DuBois, Karen Stone struggles with the loss of youth and sex appeal, but from a position of financial security. I love this story. I own the Vivien Leigh/Warren Beatty movie, and I've seen the Helen Mirren Showtime movie. I think a lot of women Karen's age relate to her situation.
The story is about a lost older American widow who finds a new life in Rome with a young gigolo.

Tennessee Williams is a playwright first. This is a novella. The difference between a play and a novel is that a play is all scenes while a novel is heavily loaded with narration. In Williams' case, he is a lyrical playwright, rich in romantic detail, but he goes overboard with narration in this novella, sacrificing his much needed dialog.

Having seen the movie (several times) which was superb and now having read the novella, I flatly say the movie is far better.
unfortunately tennessee never wrote another novel. this only one is magnificent. mrs stone & her reluctant lover half her age enjoy the city. mrs stone has never been happy before this, but it won,t of course last. I seem to have perhaps eroneously gleaned that the ending was changed at some point to a more happy one I came upon this book whileuncharaistically surfing the tv & it was on tcm. I knew what it was immediately though I'd not seen the movie before. lauren bacall takes the lead here, looking amazingly young, not faded as in the book. mrs stone was a bit past 50, lauren was very young at least as we remember her recently see the movie, read the book..
Not really a novel of Rome but an incisive portrait of a middle-aged American actress who loses her husband and profession, then seeks a personal rebirth in the ancient city of Rome with a beautiful young lover. The prose is exquisite and the characterizations subtle and fascinating. Williams' only novel but as good as his more famous plays.
John Lahr's new biography, "Tennessee Williams Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh" (2014) inspired me to read Williams' short novel, "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" (1950). Lahr discusses the novel at length in the context of Williams' life, together with many other works of this American writer.

Williams wrote "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" in the late 1940s while in Rome following the success of "A Streetcar Named Desire". His working title for the book was "Moon of Pause", a phrase used several times in the work to describe its heroine's condition. Williams wisely changed the title to its more evocative final version.

The story is set in post-WW II Rome at the time of Williams' visit. The book captures the ambience of the city in both the beauties of its past and in its difficulty and poverty at the time of Williams' stay, including the large presence of American tourists. The language of the novel is slow, deeply descriptive, poetic, and full of symbolism. The result is a book dense to read for all its brevity.

The primary character of the book, Karen Stone, is a widow in her early 50s who has lived in Rome for three years following the death of her wealthy husband. Mrs. Stone had been a popular actress but left the stage following a failure in middle-age as Juliet in Shakespeare's play. Mrs. Stone contends with the loss of her husband, the loss of her career, and the change of life. More broadly, she is concerned with aging and the loss of her beauty.

The story moves back and forth between Mrs. Stone's new life in Rome and her earlier life. Her marriage had never brought her sexual fulfillment. She had pursued her career with passion and force and a spirit of fierce competitiveness. Mrs. Stone could be ruthless against those whom she deemed stood in her way. With her husband's death and the end of her career, Mrs. Stone finds herself living in "a drift". She needs to learn and to pursue what she wants out of life.

Most of the book revolves around Mrs. Stone's affair with a young gigolo, Paolo. During her time in Rome, Mrs. Stone had used the services of a procuress, the Contessa, to bring her young men. She declined to become involved with the first three young men but became deeply attracted to Paolo. The young man, of course, attempts to bilk Mrs. Stone of her money but she sees through the scheme and tries to lead Paolo along for her own purposes. The relationship porceeds uneasily before its stormy conclusion. In the meantime, Mrs. Stone has been stalked by a strange, impoverished young man, one of many in the Rome of the time. When she and the gigolo part ways, Mrs. Stone is prepared to welcome the stalker, without introductions or knowledge, into her bed.

"The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone" is a beautifully told story about taking risks and about coming to terms with aging. The book gets its force from Williams emphasis on emotion and the consequences of its long repression. Mrs. Stone comes to know herself through an acknowledgement of her sexuality and a commitment to pursue it wherever it may lead at a point past mid-life. Some authors would use the conditions Williams' describes -- the feeling of emptiness and drift late in life -- as the basis for a religious or spiritual resolution. Williams' book echoes these themes, but Mrs Stone finds herself pursuing sexuality. Williams' quest -- the "mad pilgrimage of the flesh in Lahr's title -- is still both poignant and retains the quality of paradox if not the capacity to shock.

This highly internalized novel shows great insight into and feelings for its primary character. In its treatment of aging, "drift", and sexuality, the story touches universal themes that transcend Karen Stone. Readers interested in Tenessee Williams or in relatively neglected American novels will enjoy "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone."

Robin Friedman