So, here's the deal with this book. It's actually two separate stories bound together, and they couldn't be more different, which is part of the fun.

The Story

The first part, Jacques Ortis, is a classic of Italian Romanticism. It's presented as a series of letters from a young man named Jacques. He's heartbroken over a woman he can't have and utterly disillusioned by the political state of Italy after Napoleon's invasion. The story is essentially his long, poetic, and deeply emotional goodbye letter to the world before he decides to end his life. It's all intense feelings and beautiful, tragic prose.

Then, you turn the page and land in Les fous du docteur Miraglia (The Madmen of Doctor Miraglia). This is a gothic tale set in a psychiatric hospital in Palermo. Dr. Miraglia is an enigmatic figure who runs the asylum with controversial methods. The story explores the lives of the patients and the unsettling power dynamics at play, asking who is truly sane.

Why You Should Read It

I loved the whiplash between the two halves. 'Jacques Ortis' is a deep dive into one man's internal agony—it's intimate and soulful. The second story pulls back to look at societal madness and control. Reading them together, you see Foscolo wrestling with the same big questions: what does it mean to be free, and what happens when hope is lost? He just approaches it from two completely opposite angles. It shows a side of this famous poet that most people never see—one that's curious about psychology and dark, atmospheric storytelling.

Final Verdict

This is a perfect pick for readers who love 19th-century classics but want something off the beaten path. It's especially great if you enjoy gothic literature, early psychological fiction, or European Romanticism. Be ready for a heavy dose of melancholy in the first part and some genuinely creepy vibes in the second. It's a fascinating, uneven, and totally memorable double feature from one of Italy's literary giants.