The Gadfly
First version of cover | |
| Author | Ethel Voynich |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | H. Holt |
Publication date | June 1897 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 373 pp (first edition hardcover) |
The Gadfly is a novel by Irish-born British writer Ethel Voynich, published in 1897 (United States, June; Great Britain, September of the same year), set in 1840s Italy under the dominance of Austria, a time of tumultuous revolt and uprisings. The story centres on the life of the protagonist, Arthur Burton. A thread of a tragic relationship between Arthur and his love, Gemma, simultaneously runs through the story. It is a tale of faith, disillusionment, revolution, romance, and heroism.