Hamelin, 1376. Un mystérieux joueur de flûte propose aux habitants de débarrasser leur ville des rats qui les envahissent. Mais quand les notables refusent de le payer, sa vengeance sera aussi magique qu’implacable.

This carefully crafted ebook: "The Ring and the Book (Unabridged)" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. The Ring and the Book is a long dramatic narrative poem, and, more specifically, a verse novel, of 21,000 lines, written by Robert Browning. It was published in four volumes from 1868 to 1869 by Smith, Elder & Co. The book tells the story of a murder trial in Rome in 1698, whereby an impoverished nobleman, Count Guido Franceschini, is found guilty of the murders of his young wife Pompilia Comparini and her parents, having suspected his wife was having an affair with a young cleric, Giuseppe Caponsacchi. Having been found guilty despite his protests and sentenced to death, Franceschini then appeals-unsuccessfully-to Pope Innocent XII to overturn the conviction. The poem comprises twelve books, nine of which are dramatic monologues spoken by a different narrator involved in the case (Count Guido speaks twice), usually giving a different account of the same events, and two books (the first and the last) spoken by the author. Robert Browning (7 May 1812 - 12 December 1889) was an English poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets.

Pippa Passes was a dramatic piece, as much play as poetry, by Robert Browning published in 1841 as the first volume of his Bells and Pomegranates series. The author described the work as the first of a series of dramatic pieces. His original idea was of a young, innocent girl, moving unblemished through the crime-ridden neighbourhoods of Asolo. The work caused outrage when it was first published, due to the matter-of-fact portrayals of many of the area's more disreputable characters - notably the adulterous Ottima - and for its frankness on sexual matters. Perhaps the most famous passage is below:The year's at the spring, And day's at the morn; Morning's at seven; The hill-side's dew-pearled; The lark's on the wing; The snail's on the thorn; God's in his Heaven - All's right with the world!

It took the publication of the lengthy work 'The Ring and the Book' to gain Robert Browning recognition in his lifetime. But today, the Victorian poet is more admired for these, his shorter poems, complete with their powerful dramatic monologues. The preface to 'Shorter Poems', by Teachers' College, New York, says the poems are perfect for the "tastes and capacities of readers of the high-school age". They are, but they are also perfect for the tastes and capacities of readers of all ages. With rhymes that are often discordant and sentences that defy literary convention, Browning's work is pioneering and challenging. He provokes thought and even defies understanding. Browning's work is perfect for fans of Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and W. H. Auden. Robert Browning (1812-1889) was a poet and writer in 19th century England and Florence. His initial work was heavily influenced by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Some of his early work did not received popular or critical acclaim, but the publication of 'Bells and Pomegranates' saw him produce what became his trademark dramatic monologue. In 1846 he married the poet Elizabeth Barrett and they moved to Florence. After his wife's death, Browning settled in England. In 1869-1869, 'The Ring and the Book' was serialised, telling a murder story from 10 different viewpoints. It was rated as his greatest work and his writing continued until he died in 1889 while visiting his son in Venice.